System for Commercial Laundry Services and Facilities

ABSTRACT

Techniques are described controlling and managing machines to provide laundry services. A request may be received from a mobile device of a user, the request indicating that the mobile device is in proximity to a laundry machine such as a washer or dryer. In some cases, the request is sent by the mobile device based on detecting, at the mobile device, a wireless signal transmitted from the laundry machine. In some cases the request may include a code that identifies the laundry machine, the code being displayed by the machine and/or encoded in a scannable code displayed by the machine. In response to the request, a signal may be sent to activate the laundry machine and enable the user to use the laundry machine for a predetermined period of time (e.g., a cycle). In some cases, the activation signal is sent if the user&#39;s payment is successfully processed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 16/576,420, filed onSep. 19, 2019, which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 11,098,430, which inturn is a continuation application of and claims priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 15/267,669, filed on Sep. 16, 2016, now U.S. Pat.No. 10,466,656, which claims priority to each of the following: U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/220,174, filed on Sep. 17,2015, titled “System for Commercial Laundry Services and Facilities,”U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/220,183, filed on Sep.17, 2015, titled “Communication and Control System for CommercialLaundry Machines,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.62/220,171, filed on Sep. 17, 2015, titled “Interfacing with AutomatedCommercial Laundry Services and Facilities.” The entirety of each ofthese applications is incorporated by reference into the presentapplication. The present patent application is also related to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/267,685, filed on Sep. 16, 2016, now U.S.Pat. No. 11,098,429, titled “Communication and Control System forCommercial Laundry Machines,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/267,943, filed on Sep. 16, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,168,678, titled“Interfacing with Automated Commercial Laundry Services and Facilities.”The entirety of each of these applications is incorporated by referenceinto the present application.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally, commercial laundry businesses such as laundromats operateas cash-only businesses in which patrons use coins or tokens to feedinto washers or dryers. This business model is not user-friendly, giventhe potentially large number of coins or tokens that may be required toenable a customer to wash and dry one or more loads of laundry. Somelaundromats have attempted to eliminate the need for coins or tokens byproviding value cards which may be purchased by customers. A customermay purchase a value card of a certain monetary value. To operate awasher or dryer, the customer may insert the value card into a readerattached to the washer or dryer, and the reader may deduct monetaryvalue from the card and enable operation of the washer or dryer.However, this business model is also not user-friendly, given that itmay require the user to carry monetary value on a card, thus renderingsuch monetary value unavailable to be spent by the user for otherpurposes. Moreover, many customers may not feel safe in a traditionallaundromat given its nature as a publicly accessible facility that maynot be staffed by employees at all hours of the day.

SUMMARY

Implementations of the present disclosure are generally directed tomanaging and controlling laundry machines to provide a laundry service.More specifically, implementations are directed to controlling laundrymachine(s) through the use of remote signals that are sent based atleast in part on a detected proximity of a mobile computing device tothe laundry machine(s).

In general, innovative aspects of the subject matter described in thisspecification can be embodied in methods that include actions of:receiving a request for use of a laundry machine, the request sent by amobile computing device responsive to a determination that the mobilecomputing device is in proximity to the laundry machine; determining anetwork address of the laundry machine indicated in the request; andsending a control signal to the network address of the laundry machine,wherein the control signal causes an altering of an operational state ofthe laundry machine to enable use of the laundry machine during a periodof time.

Implementations can optionally include one or more of the followingfeatures: the determination that the mobile computing device is inproximity to the laundry machine is based at least partly on detecting,using a wireless network interface of the mobile computing device, abeacon signal emitted from the laundry machine; the request includes acode that identifies the laundry machine and that is presented on or inproximity to the laundry machine; the code is presented in a scannablebarcode of at least one dimension; the actions further include receivingan availability request for availability information describingcurrently available laundry machines, the availability requestindicating a location of one or more of a user or the mobile computingdevice; the actions further include in response to the availabilityrequest, identifying one or more laundromats within a threshold distanceof the location, the one or more laundromats including one or morecurrently available laundry machines; the actions further includesending, in response to the availability request, the availabilityinformation indicating the one or more laundromats that include the oneor more currently available laundry machines; the actions furtherinclude receiving a reservation request for a reservation of at leastone laundry machine at a particular laundromat of the one or morelaundromats, the reservation request sent in response to a selection ofthe particular laundromat from the one or more laundromats, theselection made through a user interface (UI); the actions furtherinclude updating status information to indicate the at least one laundrymachine as reserved; the actions further include sending at least onecontrol signal to cause at least one status indicator of the at leastone laundry machine to indicate a reserved status; the actions furtherinclude sending a response to the mobile computing device indicating thereservation of the at least one laundry machine at the particularlaundromat; the actions further include selecting the at least onelaundry machine from the one or more currently available laundrymachines at the particular laundromat, based at least in part on ananalysis of usage history of the one or more currently available laundrymachines; the laundry machine is a washing machine; the period of timecorresponds to at least one wash cycle of the washing machine; thelaundry machine is a dryer; and/or the period of time corresponds to oneor more increments of drying time associated with the dryer.

Other implementations of any of the above aspects include correspondingsystems, apparatus, and computer programs that are configured to performthe actions of the methods, encoded on computer storage devices. Thepresent disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage mediumcoupled to one or more processors and having instructions stored thereonwhich, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one ormore processors to perform operations in accordance with implementationsof the methods provided herein. The present disclosure further providesa system for implementing the methods provided herein. The systemincludes one or more processors, and a computer-readable storage mediumcoupled to the one or more processors having instructions stored thereonwhich, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one ormore processors to perform operations in accordance with implementationsof the methods provided herein.

Implementations of the present disclosure provide one or more of thefollowing technical advantages and improvements over traditionalsystems. By providing a laundry service in which laundry machine(s) arereserved for particular user(s) and made available for use based on theproximity of the particular user(s) to the laundry machine(s),implementations enable more the efficient use and allocation of laundrymachines in various locations, and avoid the requirement that a largenumber of excess machines be present in a laundry facility in order tosupport expected customer usage. In particular, by tracking usagepatterns for laundry machine(s) at various locations, implementationsmay predict future usage and determine an appropriate number of machinesto be placed at various locations. Moreover, because machine(s) may alsobe activated only when needed based on received reservations and/or thepresence (e.g., at the laundromat or other location of machine(s)) ofparticular user(s) who intend to use the machine(s), implementationsprovide a laundry service that consumes less power and makes moreefficient use of laundry machines compared to traditional laundryservices.

It is appreciated that aspects and features in accordance with thepresent disclosure can include any combination of the aspects andfeatures described herein. That is, aspects and features in accordancewith the present disclosure are not limited to the combinations ofaspects and features specifically described herein, but also include anycombination of the aspects and features provided.

The details of one or more implementations of the present disclosure areset forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Otherfeatures and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent fromthe description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9A and 9B depict an example process that may be executed inaccordance with implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 14A-D depict an example user interface that may be employed tointeract with a laundry service in accordance with implementations ofthe present disclosure.

FIGS. 15A-F depict an example user interface that may be employed tointeract with a laundry service in accordance with implementations ofthe present disclosure.

FIGS. 16A-F depict an example user interface that may be employed tointeract with a laundry service in accordance with implementations ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 17 depicts an example user interface that may be employed tointeract with a laundry service in accordance with implementations ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 18 depicts an example user interface that may be employed tointeract with a laundry service in accordance with implementations ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 19 depicts an example user interface for providing analyticsregarding a laundry service in accordance with implementations of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 20 depicts an example user interface for providing analyticsregarding a laundry service in accordance with implementations of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 21 depicts an example user interface for providing analyticsregarding a laundry service in accordance with implementations of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 22 depicts an example user interface for providing analyticsregarding a laundry service in accordance with implementations of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 23 depicts an example user interface that may be employed by anattendant in a laundromat in accordance with implementations of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 24 depicts an example computing system architecture in accordancewith implementations of the present disclosure

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes implementations for providing a laundryservice. One or more management server devices may generate and providecontent that is presented in a user interface (UI) on a user device suchas a mobile computing device. For example, the management serverdevice(s) may communicate information to a user device, and suchinformation may be presented within a customer application (e.g., amobile app) executing on the user device. The customer application mayenable a user to create a user account with the laundry service. Theuser may login to the laundry service, using the UI of the customerapplication, and request availability information describing one or morelaundry machines (e.g., washers, dryers, and so forth) that arecurrently available for use at one or more laundromat facilities. Theavailability information may also indicate machine(s) which arecurrently unavailable, e.g., in use or reserved for use. In someimplementations, the availability information may indicate currentlyavailable laundry machine(s) in proximity to the current location of theuser, such as within a predetermined threshold distance (e.g., 10 miles)of the user's current location or the current location of the userdevice. The availability information may be presented in the UI of thecustomer application, in a map and/or other suitable UI element thatindicates the locations of the laundromat(s) with currently availablelaundry machine(s).

The user may select a laundromat through the UI of the customerapplication, causing the customer application to send a reservationrequest to the management server device(s). The reservation request mayindicate a number of laundry machines to be reserved at theuser-selected laundromat. On receiving the reservation request, one ormore management modules executing on the management server device(s) mayreserve one or more available laundry machines in the user-selectedlaundromat for a predetermined period of time. Reserving the laundrymachine(s) may include updating status information that indicates acurrent status (e.g., free, in use, or reserved) of the various laundrymachines managed by the laundry service. Reserving the laundrymachine(s) may also include sending one or more control signals thatcause a status indicator on the reserved laundry machine(s) to (e.g.,visually) indicate the status of the laundry machine(s) as reserved. Insome cases, the control signal(s) may also cause the door of the laundrymachine to lock until the machine is requested by a user with areservation. In some implementations, the control signal(s) may causethe disabling of a control panel of the machine instead of locking themachine or in addition to locking the machine. Accordingly, the controlsignal(s) may cause the control panel of the machine to be disabled,locked, or otherwise unusable until the machine is requested by a userwith a reservation. The management server device(s) may also send areservation response to the user device to inform the user that therequested number of laundry machines have been reserved at theuser-selected laundromat. In some implementations, the reservation maybe valid for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 15 minutes) to allowthe user sufficient time to reach the selected laundromat.

The laundromat may include any number of laundry machines, such aswashers and dryers. In some implementations, each laundry machine may beconfigured to include a status indicator that indicates a current statusof the laundry machine. In some implementations, the status indicatormay indicate one of a plurality of statuses. Example statuses caninclude in use, reserved, or free. Implementations also support the useof more or fewer possible statuses for laundry machines. A statusindicator may indicate that the laundry machine is in use, and currentlybeing used to wash or dry laundry. A status indicator may indicate thatthe laundry machine is reserved, based on a previous reservation requestfrom a user. A status indicator may indicate that the laundry machine isfree, such that a user may employ the laundry machine for doing laundry.As used herein, a free status may indicate that a laundry machine isavailable. Free is not limited to describing machines that are useablewithout payment (e.g., free of charge). A status indicator may indicatethe status visually or through other means (e.g., audio or hapticindications).

The user may select to use one or more laundry machines in thelaundromat for which the status indicator(s) indicate a status of free,reserved, and/or otherwise available for use by the user. In someimplementations, a laundry machine may be configured to include atransceiver that emits a beacon signal. In some cases, the transceivermay be configured to emit a beacon signal that conforms to a version ofa wireless communication protocol. Example wireless communicationprotocols can include Bluetooth™, Bluetooth Low Energy™, a fieldcommunication (NFC) protocol, other radio frequency (RF) communicationsprotocols, and so forth. The beacon signal may include an identifier ofthe particular laundry machine that emitted the beacon signal. The usermay select a laundry machine to use by moving the user device intoproximity with the transceiver, or beacon, of the laundry machine. Theuser device may detect the beacon signal through a wireless networkinterface of the user device and, based on the received signal levelbeing at least a threshold level, the customer application may determinethat the user device is within a threshold distance of the laundrymachine. In some cases, this movement of the user device into proximitywith the laundry machine may be described as a bump, and may include theuser device coming into physical contact with the beacon of the laundrymachine. In some cases, the user device may not touch the laundrymachine but may be brought close enough (e.g., 1-2 inches) to enable thecustomer application to infer, based on the received signal level of thebeacon signal, that the user has selected the laundry machine to use.

The wireless network interface of the user device may be a RF receiver,transmitter, and/or transceiver that is configured to receive and/orsend communications over a wireless network using any suitable wirelesscommunication protocol.

Although examples herein may describe using RF communications todetermine proximity of the user device to the laundry machine, othertechniques may also be employed. In some implementations, the machinemay emit some other type of beacon signals such as an optical (e.g.,visible light) indicator, infrared beacon, sound, and so forth. The userdevice may detect the emitted beacon signal and, based on detecting thesignal, may determine that the user device is in proximity to thelaundry machine.

Implementations may also employ other techniques to determine that theuser is in proximity to the laundry machine and/or that the user hasselected the particular laundry machine for use. For example, a laundrymachine may display a numeric code, alphanumeric code, or other type ofcode. The code may be printed on a decal that is affixed to the laundrymachine. In some implementations, the code is presented in a LED displayor other type of display that is a component of the laundry machine orthat is otherwise associated with the laundry machine. The user mayenter the code into the UI of the customer application to indicate theuser's request to use the machine. The code may be presented on thelaundry machine or in proximity to the laundry machine to indicate thatthe code identifies or is otherwise associated with the laundry machine.The code may uniquely identify the laundry machine among the set oflaundry machines in the laundromat or among the set of laundry machinesmanaged by the laundry service.

In some implementations, the code may be a scannable code such as aone-dimensional barcode, two-dimensional (e.g., matrix) barcode,scannable alphanumeric code, and so forth. The code may be arrangedaccording to any suitable format, such as a version of the UniversalProduct Code (UPC), the Quick Response (QR) code, and so forth. In suchinstances, the user may use their user device to capture an image of thecode or otherwise scan the code, e.g., using a camera or other imagecapture component. The scannable code may be decoded to retrieveinformation that uniquely identifies the laundry machine. The customerapplication may send a request to use the machine, and the request mayinclude the machine's code that was entered into the user applicationand/or scanned. The scannable code may be presented on the laundrymachine or in proximity to the laundry machine to indicate that thescannable code is particularly associated with the laundry machine. Theinformation encoded in the scannable code may uniquely identify thelaundry machine among the set of laundry machines in the laundromat oramong the set of laundry machines managed by the laundry service.

In response to determining that the user device has been brought intoproximity with the laundry machine, the customer application may send amachine request to the management server device(s) to request use of thelaundry machine. The machine request may be sent over a wide areanetwork (WAN) such as the internet. The machine request may include theidentifier of the particular laundry machine. On receiving the machinerequest, the management module(s) executing on the management serverdevice(s) may determine whether the laundry machine is available for usebased on status information indicating that the status of the laundrymachine is free or reserved. If the laundry machine is available, themanagement server device(s) may send one or more control signals to anetwork location (e.g., network address) of the laundry machine. Thecontrol signal(s) may instruct the laundry machine to alter itsoperational state to enable use of the laundry machine for a period oftime. The period of time may correspond to a wash cycle if the laundrymachine is a washer, for example. The period of time may correspond toone or more increments of drying time (e.g., 15 minute increments), ifthe laundry machine is a dryer, for example.

In some implementations, the user may specify one or more paymentmethod(s) through the customer application. The payment method(s) mayinclude, but are not limited to, one or more of a credit card, a bankaccount, a phone service account, a cryptographic currency account(e.g., Bitcoin™), or an online payment processing service account (e.g.,PayPal™). In exchange for use of the laundry machine(s), the user mayauthorize payment to be made to the laundry service using the specifiedpayment method(s). In this way, implementations may provide a laundryservice that does not require the user to carry large numbers of coinsor to carry a large balance on a value card, providing a moreconvenient, secure, and positive user experience than traditionallaundromats.

In some implementations, access to the laundromat may be limited tothose individuals who have a reservation or are registered customers ofthe laundry service. For example, the customer application may cause theuser device to send an access request when the user device is inproximity to doors of the laundromat, and the access request may causethe management module(s) to instruct the doors to open, if the user isauthorized to access the laundromat. In this manner, implementationsprovide a laundromat environment in which customers may feel safer thanin a traditional (e.g., publicly accessible, unstaffed, and unmonitored)laundromat.

As used herein, laundry may describe any number of items of clothing ofany type, including but not limited to pants, shirts, dresses, skirts,kilts, trousers, shorts, belts, suspenders, socks, hosiery,undergarments, diapers, bibs, shirts, blouses, gloves, hats, coats,jackets, ties, scarves, swimsuits, uniforms, costumes, unitards,leotards, and so forth. Laundry may include other items that are notworn, such as towels, washcloths, linens, rags, bedsheets, blankets,comforters, quilts, flags, tarps, and so forth. Laundry may include anynumber of items of any size, and may be at least partly composed ofcloth of any type.

As used herein, a laundry machine may describe any type of apparatusassociated with the washing, drying, or other handling of laundry.Although examples herein may describe a laundry machine as a washer or adryer, implementations are not so limited. Laundry machines may alsoinclude, but are not limited to, pressing or ironing apparatuses, drycleaning machines, steam cleaning machines, laundry folding machines,fumigation machines, and so forth. Laundry machines may also include anytype of apparatus or object that facilitates manual handling of laundry,such as wash basins or washboards to manually wash laundry,clotheslines, racks, hooks, or rods to manually hang laundry to dry,ironing boards or irons to press laundry, and so forth. Laundry machinesmay also include vending machines that dispense (e.g., for free or for acharge) items used in doing laundry, such as detergent, fabricsofteners, stain removers, bleach, detergent additives, and so forth.

As used herein, doing laundry may describe using a laundry machine toprocess laundry in any way. For example, and without limitation, doinglaundry may include using a washer to wash laundry or using a dryer todry laundry.

As used herein, a user may describe an individual person or multiplepeople.

As used herein, a laundromat may describe any facility that includes anynumber of laundry machines. A laundromat may be housed in a building orany portion of a building, and may include any number of rooms that areat least partly enclosed. A laundromat may also be an area of any sizethat includes any number of laundry machines in an indoor or outdoorenvironment.

As used herein, a signal may describe a wireless signal that istransmitted via electromagnetic (EM) waves of any type, including butnot limited to a radio frequency signal, an infrared frequency signal, amicrowave frequency signal, or a signal having a frequency in thevisible portion of the EM spectrum. A signal may also be transmitted viasound waves, pressure waves, or via any other wireless mechanism. Asignal may also describe an electrical signal, or other type of signal,that is transmitted over one or more wires. A beacon may describe anydevice or component, such as a transceiver or a transmitter, that isconfigured to send a signal.

As used herein, payment may describe the transfer of value from oneparty to another party. Such value may be described in units of any typeof currency. Payment may also describe a transfer of any type of goodsor services from one party to another party, as in a payment-in-kind,trade, service exchange, or barter arrangement. Payment may include thepresent (e.g., substantially immediate) transfer of value betweenparties. Payment may also include a promise of value to be transferredin the future, or the rescinding of a previously made promise totransfer value.

As used herein, a module may describe software, such as firmware, thatis executable on at least one computing device. A module may include anynumber of applications, processes, programs, libraries, interfaces,threads, application programming interfaces (APIs), scripts, batchfiles, classes, objects, executable files, routines, subroutines,firmware modules, or other types of executable software.

FIG. 1 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations such as those of the present disclosure.As shown in FIG. 1, the system may operate with respect to a laundromat100. The laundromat 100 may include any number of laundry machines 112.In the example shown, the laundromat 100 includes laundry machines 112 athat are washers and laundry machines 112 b that are dryers.Implementations may also operate with respect to laundromats 100 thatinclude washers but no dryers, or that include dryers but no washers.The laundromat 100 may also include other types of laundry machines 112,without limitation. The laundromat 100 may include one or more sets ofdoors 106 that provide ingress to, and egress from, the laundromat 100.

A user 102 may approach the doors 106 of the laundromat 100, carrying acomputing device such as a mobile device 104. The mobile device 104 maybe any type of computing device, including but not limited to asmartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, electronic book reader,wearable computer (e.g., watch, glasses, etc.), implanted computer,vehicle computer (e.g., automotive computer), and so forth. The mobiledevice 104 may execute a customer application that is configured tointeract with management server device(s) that manage the laundryservice. In some cases, prior to visiting the laundromat 100, the user102 may have employed the customer application on the mobile device 104to sign up as a customer of the laundry service. In some cases, the user102 may have employed a different application (e.g., executing on adesktop computer) to sign up as a customer of the laundry service. Theuser 102 may have logged into the laundry service, using the customerapplication executing on the mobile device 104, prior to approaching thedoors 106 of the laundromat 100.

In some implementations, on reaching the laundromat 100, the user 102may employ the customer application executing on the mobile device 104to gain access to the laundromat 100. For example, the laundromat 100may include a beacon 110, e.g., a transceiver device, arranged inproximity to the doors 106 of the laundromat 100. The beacon 110 mayemit a wireless beacon signal. In some implementations, the beaconsignal may comply with a wireless communication protocol. Examplewireless communication protocols can include any appropriate version ofthe Bluetooth™ wireless technology standard managed by the BluetoothSpecial Interest Group (SIG) and previously standardized by theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE802.15.1. In some implementations, the beacon signal may comply with anyappropriate version of the Bluetooth Low Energy™ standard managed by theBluetooth SIG. Bluetooth Low Energy™, marketed as Bluetooth Smart™,enables communications over a similar range as Bluetooth™ but with lowerpower consumption. Both the Bluetooth™ and Bluetooth Low Energy™standards are described in versions 4.0 and later of the Bluetooth CoreSpecification promulgated by the Bluetooth SIG. Implementations alsosupport the use of any NFC protocol, or other wireless communicationprotocols for the beacon signal. As described above, implementations mayemploy other types of beacon signals, such as visible light signals,infrared signals, and so forth. Implementations may also employ opticalmethods of proximity detection such as a numeric and/or alphanumericcode affixed to the machine, a scannable (e.g., QR) code, and so forth,as described above.

Based on the detection of the beacon signal by a wireless networkinterface of the mobile device 104, the customer application maydetermine that the mobile device 104 is within a threshold distance ofthe doors 106. For example, the customer application may infer that themobile device 104 is within a threshold distance of the doors 106 basedat least in part on a received signal level (e.g., signal strength) ofthe beacon signal. In response to the detection of the beacon signal,the mobile device 104 may send an access request to management serverdevice(s) (not shown in FIG. 1) executing management module(s) thatperform operations to provide the laundry service. Such managementserver device(s) may be physically located at the laundromat 100, or maybe at a location that is geographically remote from the laundromat 100.Based on a determination that the user 102 is authorized to access thelaundromat 100, the management server device(s) may send a controlsignal to instruct a door mechanism 108 to cause the doors 106 to openand admit the user 102. In some implementations, the door mechanism 108may include a network interface to enable the control signal to be sentfrom the management server device(s) to the door mechanism 108. In someimplementations, the access request may be sent to the management serverdevice(s) without any interaction of the user 102 with the UI of thecustomer application, to enable access even when the user's hands arefull carrying laundry. In some cases, when an attendant is staffing thelaundromat 100, the doors 106 may open without receiving the controlsignal described above. Controlling user access to the laundromat isdescribed further with reference to FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 1, the laundromat 100 may include any number of laundrymachines 112 such as washers and dryers. In some implementations, one ormore of the laundry machines 112 may include a status indicator 116indicating a current status of the laundry machine 112, such as whetherthe laundry machine 112 is free, in use, or reserved. In someimplementations, the status indicator 116 may indicate status using avisible mechanism. For example, the status indicator 116 may include alight-emitting diode (LED) such as a multi-color LED. The LED may emitdifferent colors of light corresponding to possible statuses. Forexample, the LED may emit green light to indicate that the laundrymachine 112 is free, red light to indicate that the laundry machine isin use, and blue light to indicate that the laundry machine 112 isreserved. Implementations also support the use of other types of statusindicators 116, such as status indicators 116 that visually indicatestatus using displayed symbols, words, and so forth. In some cases, astatus indicator 116 may include a mechanism such that differentpositions or movements of the mechanism may indicate different statuses.Implementations also support the use of status indicators 116 thatindicate status using non-visual methods. For example, a statusindicator 116 may emit different audible sounds to indicate differentstatuses. As another example, a status indicator 116 may performdifferent vibrations, motions, or other haptic outputs to indicatedifferent statuses.

Based on the indicated statuses of the various laundry machines 112, theuser 102 may select one or more laundry machines 112 to use. The user'sselection of laundry machine(s) 112 for use may be based, at least inpart, on whether the user 102 previously requested a reservation oflaundry machine(s) 112. For example, if the user 102 previouslyrequested a reservation of one or more laundry machines 112 in thelaundromat 100, the user 102 may be allowed to use laundry machine(s)112 that have a status of reserved or free. If the user 102 came to thelaundromat 100 without having previously requested a reservation, theuser 102 may be allowed to use laundry machine(s) 112 that have a statusof free. In some implementations, the customer application executing onthe user device 104 may present information describing the location(s)of available laundry machine(s) 112 in the laundromat 100. Suchinformation may be presented in a schematic or map of the laundromat100, or any other type of way-finding information. The user 102 mayapproach the laundry machine(s) 112 and request to use the laundrymachine(s) 112 by moving (e.g., bumping) the mobile device 104 intoproximity with the beacon 114 of each selected laundry machine 112, asdescribed further with reference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations such as those of the present disclosure.As shown in the example of FIG. 2, the user 102 may select to use alaundry machine 112 by approaching the laundry machine 112 and movingthe mobile device 104 into proximity with the beacon 114 of the laundrymachine 112. As described above, the beacon 114 may include a wirelesstransceiver that emits a beacon signal conforming to a version of awireless communication protocol, such as a version of Bluetooth™ orBluetooth Low Energy™, or any NFC protocol. The beacon signal mayinclude an identifier of the particular laundry machine 112 that emittedthe beacon signal. In some implementations, the identifier included inthe beacon signal may be encrypted and may change periodically, toprevent someone from spoofing the laundry machine(s) 112 and generatingerroneous charges.

Although FIG. 2 illustrates implementations in which the user movestheir mobile device 104 into proximity with the beacon 114 to select thelaundry machine 112, implementations are not limited to this example. Asdescribed above, in some implementations the machine may present anumeric or alphanumeric code (e.g., in a LED display or affixed decal)and he user may enter the code into the UI of the customer applicationto select the machine 112. In some implementations, the machine maypresent a scannable code, such as a 1-dimensional or 2-dimensional(e.g., matrix) barcode, scannable alphanumeric text, scannable symbol,and so forth. The user may select the machine by scanning the code usingan image capture component of the mobile device 104.

A wireless network interface of the mobile device 104 may detect thebeacon signal and, based on the received signal level being at least athreshold level, the customer application may determine that the mobiledevice 104 is within a threshold distance of the laundry machine 112.The moving of the mobile device 104 into proximity with the beacon 114may be described as a bump, and may or may not include physical contactbetween the mobile device 104 and the laundry machine 112. Accordingly,a bump may be a touch of the mobile device 104 to a portion of thelaundry machine 112, and a bump may also include a movement that bringsthe mobile device 104 into proximity (e.g., 1-2 inches) with the laundrymachine 112 without touching the laundry machine 112.

In some implementations, if the customer application detects that themobile device 104, based on a satellite-based navigation system (e.g.,GPS) or other location information, and if the customer applicationdetermines that Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy communications are notcurrently enabled on the mobile device 104, the customer application mayprompt the user to activate the appropriate transceiver to communicatevia Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, or other protocols. In cases wherethe OS of the mobile device 104 is configured to activate a transceiverautomatically, the customer application may send a request to the OS tocause activation of the transceiver for Bluetooth or Bluetooth LowEnergy communications.

In response to determining that the mobile device 104 has been broughtinto proximity with the laundry machine 112, the customer applicationmay send a machine request to the one or more management server devices204 to request use of the laundry machine 112. The management serverdevice(s) 204 may include any number and any type of computing device.In some cases, the management server device(s) 204 may be physicallylocated in the laundromat 100. In some cases, the management serverdevice(s) 204 may be remote from the laundromat 100, located at one ormore geographically different locations than the laundromat 100. Themachine request may be sent to the management server device(s) 204 overnetwork(s) 202. The network(s) 202 may include wired or wirelessnetwork(s), and may include any number of WANs (e.g., the internet). Thenetwork(s) 202 may also include any number of local area networks(LANs). In some implementations, the machine request may include theidentifier of the particular laundry machine 112 that the user 102 isrequesting to use.

The management server device(s) 204 may execute one or more managementmodules 206. The management module(s) 206 may receive the machinerequest. On receiving the machine request, the management module(s) 206may determine whether the laundry machine 112 is available for use basedon status information 208. The status information 208 may describe thecurrent status of any number of laundry machines 112 associated with thelaundry service. If the status information 208 indicates that thelaundry machine 112 is free, the machine request may be approved. If thestatus information 208 indicates that the laundry machine 112 isreserved, the machine request may be approved if the user 102 previouslysubmitted a reservation request which resulted in the reservation oflaundry machine(s) 112.

If the management module(s) 206 approve the machine request, themanagement module(s) 206 may cause one or more control signals to besent to a network address of the laundry machine 112. The controlsignal(s) may instruct the laundry machine 112 to alter its operationalstate to enable use of the laundry machine 112 for a period of time. Theperiod of time may correspond to a wash cycle if the laundry machine 112is a washer. The period of time may correspond to one or more incrementsof drying time (e.g., 15 minute increments), if the laundry machine 112is a dryer. In some implementations, the sending of the controlsignal(s) to enable use of the laundry machine(s) 112 may be furtherbased on a successful processing of a payment from the user 102 to thelaundry service, using one or more payment methods previously set up bythe user 102. The bump of the mobile device 104 at the laundrymachine(s) 112, and subsequently enabling use of the laundry machine(s)112, is further described with reference to FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10. Insome instances, payment may not be required and the use of the laundrymachine(s) may be provided for free (e.g., as a promotion), as part of atest (e.g., beta test), and so forth. In some instances, the attendantmay use the attendant app to enable use of machine(s) without requiringthe user payment. In some implementations, commands may be sent to thelaundry machine 112 from the management server device(s) 204 and/orother remote devices, for diagnostics, testing, and/or other purposes.

Although examples herein describe placing the laundry machine 112 into aparticular state based on a successful processing of a payment from theuser 102 to the laundry service, implementations are not so limited. Insome implementations, the laundry machine 112 may be in one of twostates—enabled or disabled. A machine 112 may be disabled until itreceives a control signal that enables the machine 112, and the controlsignal may be sent in response to a successful processing of a paymentfrom the user 102 to the laundry service. Once the machine 112 isenabled, the user may operate the machine 112 by selecting cycles,temperatures, wash or dry time, and/or other operational parameters, andby starting and stopping the machine 112 as needed. In someimplementations, the machine 112 may be enabled for a particular periodof time in response to a particular payment. For example, the user mayrent a machine 112 for two hours in exchange for a particular amount,and the machine 112 may be enabled for two hours in response to asuccessful processing of the payment.

FIG. 3 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations such as those of the present disclosure.As shown in the example of FIG. 3, a laundry machine 112 may include amicrocontroller 302, one or more network interfaces 304, one or morecontrol modules 306, and a status indicator 116. The microcontroller 302may be electronically and communicatively coupled to the networkinterface(s) 304, the control module(s) 306, and the status indicator116 such that information may communicated between the microcontroller302 and the other components. In some implementations, themicrocontroller 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs)such as a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or a system in package (SiP) (e.g.,multiple chips). The microcontroller 302 may be incorporated into thelaundry machine 112 to enable the laundry machine 112 to operate withinthe automated laundry service described herein.

The network interface(s) 304 may include hardware component(s) such asany type of network interface controller (NIC) or transceiver configuredto enable the microcontroller 302 to communicate with other devices orcomponents over one or more networks 202. The network interface(s) 304may also include software component(s) such as network protocol stacks,network interface drivers, and so forth. In the example of FIG. 3, thenetwork interface(s) 304 include one or more network interfaces 304 aand one or more network interfaces 304 b. The network interface(s) 304 amay be configured to enable communication over a WAN such as theinternet. The network interface(s) 304 b may be configured to enablecommunication over a LAN. In some implementations, the networkinterface(s) 304 b may enable communication over a wireless LAN (WLAN)using a communication protocol that complies with a version ofBluetooth™ or Bluetooth Low Energy™. Some implementations may supportthe use of other wireless communication protocols such as any NFCprotocol.

The control module(s) 306 may control and monitor operations orconditions of the laundry machine 112 including but not limited to oneor more of: the power state (e.g., on or off) of the laundry machine112; the cycle of the laundry machine 112, such as whether the machineis currently in a wash cycle, spin cycle, dry cycle, soak cycle, and soforth; the presence of detergent, or the addition of detergent to thelaundry; whether the door(s) of the laundry machine 112 are locked orunlocked; and so forth.

The mobile device 104 may be a user device operated by a current orpotential customer of the laundry service. The mobile device 104 may beany type of computing device, including but not limited to a tabletcomputer, a notebook computer, or a smartphone. The mobile device 104 isdescribed further with reference to FIG. 17.

In some implementations, the mobile device 104 or other user device mayexecute a customer application 310. The customer application 310 may bewritten or otherwise described using any programming language. In somecases, the customer application 310 may be a native application that iscompiled, linked, or otherwise built from source code to generatemachine-executable binary instructions configured to execute on theprocessor(s) and within the operating system (OS) of a computing devicesuch as the mobile device 104. In some cases, the customer application310 may be written in a programming language that compiles to anintermediate language (e.g., bytecodes) that is executable within aruntime application such as a Java™ Virtual Machine (JVM), C#™ runtime,or any other runtime, interpreter, virtual machine, or execution enginerunning on a computing device. In some cases, the customer application310 may include any number of executable instructions in a scriptinglanguage or interpreted language, such as JavaScript™, ActiveScript™,VBScript™ Perl™, and so forth. In such cases, the customer application310 may execute within a runtime, interpreter, virtual machine,scripting engine, or other execution container.

In some cases, the customer application 310 may be configured toexecute, at least partly, in a web browser or other container for thepresentation of web content, such as a WebView or UIWebView class.Accordingly, the customer application 310 may include dynamic scriptingor programmatic elements described using any programming language, suchas JavaScript™, ActiveScript™, VBScript™, Perl™, and so forth.Implementations support the use of any appropriate web browser toexecute the customer application 310. Such a web browser may include,but is not limited to, one or more of the following: Mozilla Firefox™;Microsoft Internet Explorer™; Google Chrome™; Apple Safari™; Rockmelt™;and so forth. In cases where the customer application 310 is configuredto be presented, at least partly, within a web browser or othercontainer for the presentation of web content, the customer application310 may include any number of web pages that are described at least inpart using a markup language such as any version of Hypertext MarkupLanguage (HTML), Dynamic HTML (DHTML), Extensible HTML (XHTML),Extensible Markup Language (XML), and so forth.

The customer application 310 may include a UI that enables the user 102to interact with the customer application 310. Examples of the UI aredescribed further with reference to FIGS. 14-17. The customerapplication 310 may be location sensitive and may present differentinformation based on a current location of the user device 104. Forexample, if the user device 104 is currently in the laundromat 100, thecustomer application 310 may present a first set of UIs related tolaundry loads in progress, additional service(s) that may be requested,available laundry machine(s) 112, games, advertisements, and surveys topass the time, or other information. If the user device 104 is currentlyoutside the laundromat 100, the customer application 310 may present asecond set of UIs related to the user's reservation at a particularlaundromat 100, current location relative to the laundromat 100,available laundry machine(s) 112 at various nearby laundromat(s) 100, orother information. In some implementations, the customer application 310may determine whether the user device 104 is currently in the laundromat100 based on detecting one or more beacon signals from laundrymachine(s) 112, the door(s) 106, or other beacon signals.

The microcontroller 302 may cause the network interface(s) 304 b to emita beacon signal 308. In some implementations, the beacon signal 308 maybe emitted within a particular frequency range such that a wirelessnetwork interface of the mobile device 104 is able to detect and receivethe beacon signal 308. In some implementations, the beacon signal 308may comply with a version of Bluetooth Low Energy™ or Bluetooth™, andthe wireless network interface may be configured to receive and/or sendsignal that are compliant with a version of such protocols. The wirelessnetwork interface may also be configured to receive and send othersuitable types of (e.g., radio frequency) communications. The beaconsignal 308 may be emitted periodically to indicate the presence of thelaundry machine 112. Accordingly, the network interface(s) 304 b may becomponent(s) of the beacon 114. The beacon signal 308 may include anidentifier that identifies the particular laundry machine 112 from whichthe beacon signal 308 is emitted. In some cases, the identifier mayuniquely identify the laundry machine 112 among the plurality of laundrymachines 112 managed by the management server device(s) 204 within thelaundry service. In some cases, the identifier may uniquely identify thelaundry machine 112 among the plurality of laundry machines 112 in aparticular laundromat 100. The beacon signal 308 may also include otherinformation regarding the laundry machine 112, such as the availabilityof the machine, the status (e.g., operational, non-operational, in use,idle, etc.) of the machine, metadata describing the machine (e.g.,location, type, model, price, etc.), and so forth.

Based on receiving an indication of the received beacon signal 308, thecustomer application may determine that the mobile device 104 is withina threshold distance of the laundry machine 112. This determination isdescribed further with references to FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10, and may bedescribed as a bump of the mobile device 104 with the laundry machine112. A bump may include physical contact between the mobile device 104and a portion (e.g., the beacon 114) of the laundry machine 112. In somecases, a bump may be detected if the mobile device 104 does not contactthe laundry machine 112 but is within the threshold distance of thelaundry machine 112, as indicated by the received signal level of thebeacon signal 308 being at least a threshold level.

On determining that the mobile device 104 is within a threshold distanceof the laundry machine 112, the customer application 310 may infer thatthe user 102 is selecting the laundry machine 112 for use. The customerapplication 310 may cause a machine request 312 to be communicated tothe management server device(s) 204. In some implementations, themachine request 312 may be communicated to the management serverdevice(s) 204 over a WAN such as the internet. The machine request 312may include the identifier of the laundry machine 112. In some cases,the machine request 312 may include an indication of the laundromat 100where the laundry machine 112 is located. The machine request 312 may bereceived by the management server device(s) 204 and accessed bymanagement module(s) 206 executing on the management server device(s)204.

The management module(s) 206 may access status information 208 stored onthe management server device(s) 204 or elsewhere. The status information208 may list, for each laundry machine 112 managed within the laundryservice, a current status of the laundry machine 112. For example, thestatus information 208 may indicate that a laundry machine 112 iscurrently free, currently in use, or currently reserved for otheruser(s). If the user 102 previously reserved a laundry machine 112 atthe laundromat 100, the machine request 312 may be approved by themanagement module(s) 206 if the current status of the user-selectedlaundry machine 112 is free or reserved. If the user 102 did notpreviously reserve a laundry machine 112 at the laundromat 100, themachine request 312 may be approved if the current status of theuser-selected laundry machine 112 is free. If the current status of theuser-selected laundry machine 112 is in use, the machine request 312 maybe denied.

In some cases, the user 102 may login to the customer application 310 byentering one or more credentials such as a user name, password, and soforth. In some cases, the user 102 may be authenticated by themanagement module(s) 206 based on credential(s) provided with themachine request 312 or in a previously sent communication. The approvalof the machine request 312 may be further based on whether the user 102has been authenticated as an authorized user of the laundry service. Insome implementations, the approval of the machine request 312 may alsobe contingent on the successful processing of a payment from the user102 to the laundry service.

If the machine request 312 is denied, the management module(s) 206 maygenerate a message that is communicated for presentation on the customerapplication 310. The message may indicate that the machine request 312for the particular laundry machine 112 has been denied, e.g., becausethe laundry machine 112 is already in use or reserved for other user(s).In that case, the user 102 may be instructed to bump a different laundrymachine 112, such as a laundry machine 112 with an indicated status offree or reserved (e.g., if the user 102 has a reservation).

If the machine request 312 is approved, the management module(s) 206 mayupdate the status information 208 to indicate, for the laundry machine112, a current status of in use. The management module(s) 206 maygenerate one or more control signals 314 that are communicated to thelaundry machine 112. In some implementations, the laundry machine 112may have a network address such as an internet protocol (IP) address.The management module(s) 206 may determine the particular networkaddress that is associated with the laundry machine identifier, andcause the control signal(s) 314 to be sent to the network address of thelaundry machine 112. In some implementations, the management module(s)206 may determine the network address based on address informationstored in a table or other data structure. The address information maylist, for each laundry machine 112, a network address of the laundrymachine 112 in the form of an IP address or other address. In someimplementations, the control signal(s) 314 may be sent to a (e.g.,local) server device that is configured to manage the laundry machines112 in the laundromat 100, and the (e.g., local) server device mayforward the control signal(s) 314 to the laundry machine 112. In someimplementations, the control signal(s) 314 may be communicated to thelaundry machine 112 over a WAN (e.g., the internet) and may be receivedby the network interface(s) 304 a.

The control signal(s) 314 may instruct the microcontroller 302 to alteran operational state of the laundry machine 112 from its previous state(e.g., free or reserved) to a current state (e.g., in use). The controlsignal(s) 314 may instruct the microcontroller to set the state of themachine 112 to any appropriate state, including but not limited to free,reserved, or in use. Altering the operational state may include sendingan instruction to cause the status indicator 116 to indicate a status ofin use. Altering the operational state may also include sending aninstruction to the control module(s) 306 to cause the door of thelaundry machine 112 to unlock, or to cause the control module(s) 306 tomechanically or electrically enable the laundry machine 112 to performoperations to process laundry. In some implementations, altering theoperational state of the machine 112 may include enabling or disabling acontrol panel and/or one or more controls of the machine 112. Themicrocontroller 302 may send other instruction(s) to the controlmodule(s) 306 to enable the use of the laundry machine 112. In someimplementations, the control signal(s) 314 may cause the microcontroller302 to enable use of the laundry machine 112 during a predeterminedperiod of time. For example, in cases where the laundry machine 112 is awasher, the laundry machine 112 may be enabled for use during a washcycle of the laundry machine 112. In cases where the laundry machine 112is a dryer, the laundry machine 112 may be enabled for use during one ormore increments of time (e.g., 15 minute increments) associated with thedryer.

In some implementations, the customer application 310 may determinewhether a bumped laundry machine 112 is available for use. For example,the beacon signal 308 may include an identifier of the laundry machine112 as well as an indication of the current status of the laundrymachine 112. If the customer application 310 determines that the currentstatus is in use, based on the beacon signal 308, the customerapplication 310 may present a notification indicating that the selectedlaundry machine 112 is currently in use. If the customer application 310determines that the current status is reserved, and if the user 102 doesnot have a reservation at the laundromat 100, the customer application310 may present a notification indicating that the selected laundrymachine 112 is reserved for other user(s).

FIG. 4 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations of the present disclosure. FIG. 3depicts an example system in which the management server device(s) 204act as an intermediary between the user's mobile device 104 and thelaundry machine 112. FIG. 4 depicts an example system in which theinteraction between the mobile device 104 and the laundry machine 112 issubstantially more direct and not intermediated by management serverdevice(s) 204. In the example of FIG. 4, the laundry machine 112 mayemit the beacon signal 308 which is detected at the customer application310. On determining, based on the beacon signal 308, that the mobiledevice 104 is in proximity to the laundry machine 112, the mobile device104 may establish a connection with the microcontroller 302 via thenetwork interface(s) 304 b. The customer application 310 may use theconnection to send control signal(s) 402 to request the use of thelaundry machine 112 during a predetermined period of time. Inimplementations that support this more direct (e.g., peer-to-peer)communication between the mobile device 104 and the laundry machine 112,the network interface(s) 304 b may support communication via Bluetooth™or another protocol that enables the communication of more data thanBluetooth Low Energy™. In the example of FIG. 4, the laundry machine 112may not have a direct (e.g., WAN) connection to the management serverdevice(s) 204, and may instead use the user device's network connectionto indirectly communicate with the management server device(s) 204.

In some implementations, the microcontroller 302 depicted in FIGS. 3 and4 may be a SoC, SiP, or other type of system that has been incorporatedinto the laundry machine 112 to enable the control of the laundrymachine 112 from the management server device(s) 204 or the mobiledevice 104. The microcontroller 302 may be physically incorporated intothe laundry machine 112. In some cases, the microcontroller 302 may beexternal to the laundry machine 112. The microcontroller 302 mayinterface with the control module(s) 306 via a serial port such as aUniversal Serial Bus (USB) connection, a parallel port, an Ethernetconnection, a ribbon cable (e.g., multi-wire planar cable), or any othertype of wired or wireless interface that enables the transfer ofinformation between the microcontroller 302 and the control module(s)306. In some cases, the microcontroller 302 may interface with thecontrol module(s) 306 using one or more of a general-purposeinput/output (GPIO) connector, a universal asynchronousreceiver/transmitter (UART), an inter-integrated circuit (i2c), or aserial peripheral interface (SPI). The control module(s) 306 may beseparate with respect to the microcontroller 302, or may be at leastpartly incorporated into the microcontroller 302. In someimplementations, the microcontroller 302 may be powered using the powerprovided to the laundry machine 112. In some implementations, themicrocontroller 302 may be powered independently from the laundrymachine 112.

In some implementations, the microcontroller 302 may be configured toenable use of the laundry machine 112 for an authorized user 102. Insuch cases, the user 102 may use the existing controls of the laundrymachine 112 to do laundry after the microcontroller 302 has enabled itsuse. In some cases, the microcontroller 302 may be configured to havemore extensive control of the operations of the laundry machine 112. Insuch cases, the user device 102 may effectively become the primaryinterface between the user 102 and the laundry machine 112, enabling theuser 102 to control the operations of the laundry machine 112 withregard to cycle options, temperature, time of operation, cycleselection, water fill level, detergent addition, or other aspects. Oneor both of the user device 104 or the management module(s) 106 may storeuser preference information regarding the various options, to facilitatethe user's subsequent use of a laundry machine 112.

FIG. 5 depicts an example system for providing a laundry service inaccordance with implementations such as those of the present disclosure.In some implementations, a user 102, such as a customer of the laundryservice, may be presented with periodic updates regarding the progressof laundry in one or more laundry machines 112 of the laundromat 100.Such updates may be presented in the customer application 310, and mayindicate the number of loads in progress, the laundry machine 112 beingused for each load of laundry, and the amount of time left to processthe load on each laundry machine 112. The customer application 310 mayalso present an indication when each load is complete. In some cases,the periodic updates of laundry status may be sent (e.g., peer-to-peer)from the laundry machine 112 to the user device 104 without using themanagement server device(s) 204 as an intermediary. In such cases, theupdates may be sent to the user device 104 even after the user device104 has been moved away from the laundry machine 112 (e.g., out of thethreshold distance for bumping). In some cases, the periodic updates maybe sent to the user device 104 from the management server device(s) 204based on status information received, at the management server device(s)204, from the laundry machine, or based on a known time period for thelaundry cycle. In some implementations, the updates may be sent to theuser device 104 from the management server device(s) 204 through anintermediary, such as through one or more server(s) that facilitate pushmessaging to devices that run a particular operating system such as aversion of iOS™, Android™, and so forth.

The customer application 310 may be configured to enable the user 102 tosend one or more service request(s) 502 to request additional service(s)to be performed with respect to the user's laundry. For example, theservice request(s) 502 may request one or more of the following:addition of time to a laundry machine 112, such as more drying time oran additional wash cycle; addition of detergent, fabric softener, dryersheet(s), or other items to a laundry machine 112; movement of laundryfrom one laundry machine 112 to another, such as moving laundry from awasher to a dryer and starting a dry cycle; removal of laundry from alaundry machine 112; folding of laundry; storage of laundry pending thereturn of the user 102; delivery of laundry to the user's home or otherlocation, and so forth. Each of these additional services may beavailable to the user 102 for an additional payment, which may beprocessed by the management module(s) 206. In some cases, the laundryservice may also provide an additional service to pick up laundry fromthe user 102. The user's laundry may then be done by an attendant andeither delivered to the user 102 or held for pickup by the user 102.

The management module(s) 206 may access the service request(s) 502received at the management server device(s) 204 and, if payment isprocessed successfully, the management module(s) 206 may generate one ormore service instructions 504 that are sent to a mobile device 104 of auser 506. In some instances, payment may not be required and theservices may be provided for free (e.g., as a promotion), as part of atest (e.g., beta test), and so forth. In some instances, the attendantmay provide such services without requiring the user payment. The user506 may be an attendant, e.g., employed by the laundry service, who ison site at the laundromat 100. The service instruction(s) 504 mayinstruct the user 506 to perform the additional service(s) requested inthe service request(s) 502. In some implementations, the user 506 may bepresented with the service instruction(s) 504 on an attendantapplication that executes on the attendant's mobile device 104. Theattendant application may be a different application than the customerapplication 310, or may be a same application with a different set ofexposed features. In performing the additional service(s) for the user102, the attendant user 506 may act as a proxy for a customer user 102.The attendant application may be configured to perform operationsincluding but not limited to the following: authenticate the attendantto the laundry service; present a current number of customers in thelaundromat 100; present a status summary of the laundry machine(s) 112in the laundromat 100; present additional information regarding thelaundry machine(s) 112; process refunds to customers; presentnotification(s) of additional service(s) to be performed; presentinformation regarding reservation(s) at the laundromat 100; send amessage (e.g., text message) to a customer; or present a predicted levelof activity in the laundromat 100 based on historical data, currentreservation(s), and a current number of customers.

By enabling the user 102 to submit service request(s) 502 for additionalservice(s), implementations may provide a more positive and convenientcustomer experience for the user 102. For example, the user 102 maystart one or more loads of laundry and leave the laundromat 100 to go totheir home, their office, a store, a coffee shop, or elsewhere, and theuser 102 may submit service request(s) 502 for further handling of theirlaundry while the user 102 is not present in the laundromat 100.

In some implementations, the attendant may use the attendant applicationexecuting on the attendant's mobile device 104 to perform actions thatmay not be permitted for a customer (e.g., user 102). For example, theattendant may be able to bump the mobile device 104 on a laundry machine112 that is currently in use, and use the attendant application to stopthe laundry machine 112, unlock and open the door of the laundry machine112, and remove the laundry to move to another laundry machine 112. Incases where the door of the laundry machine 112 may automatically lockwhile a cycle is in progress, a customer may not be able to perform suchactions. Accordingly, the attendant application may provide a widerrange of privileges to the attendant than those provided to a customer.

FIG. 6 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations such as those of the present disclosure. FIG. 6describes an example process for presenting availability informationthat describes available laundry machine(s) 112 at laundromat(s) 100.Operations of the process may be performed by one or more of thecustomer application 310, other module(s) executing on the mobile device104, the management module(s) 206, other module(s) executing on themanagement server device(s) 204, or other module(s) executing on otherdevice(s).

The customer application 310, executing on a user device such as themobile device 104 or a desktop computing device, may detect (602) anattempted login of the user 102 at the customer application 310. Theuser 102 may enter one or more credentials (604), such as a login,password, or other credentials, through the UI of the customerapplication 310. The customer application 310 may communicate thecredential(s) 604 to the management module(s) 206 executing on themanagement server device(s) 204.

The management module(s) 206 may authenticate (606) the user 102 bycomparing the credential(s) 604 to credential(s) previously provided bythe user 102. The management module(s) 206 may send, to the user device,a result indicating the success or failure of authentication of the user102. The operations for authenticating the user 102 may be performed bysoftware executing on the management server device(s) 204 or the userdevice.

The customer application 310 may determine (608) a location of the userdevice. The location may be determined, using any technique, to anydegree of specificity. For example, the user device may include locationsensor(s), transceiver(s), other hardware component(s), or othersoftware component(s) configured to determine the location using one ormore of the following: an inertial navigation system, a dead-reckoningnavigation system, a network positioning system, a radio positionfinding system, a satellite-based navigation system, an accelerometersystem, a gyroscope system, and so forth. The satellite-based system mayinclude one or more of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, aGlobalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS) receiver, aGalileo receiver, an Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System, andso forth. The location may also be determined through geolocation basedon an IP address of the user device. In some cases, the location of theuser device or the user 102 may be determined based on previouslycollected information describing the user device or the user 102, suchas a previously specified address of the user 102.

The customer application 310 may request (610) availability information618 by communicating an availability request 612 to the managementmodule(s) 206. The availability request 612 may request availabilityinformation 618 describing one or more currently available laundrymachines 112 at one or more laundromats 100.

The management module(s) 206 may identify (614) one or more laundromats100 that include currently available laundry machine(s) 112, thelaundromat(s) being within a predetermined threshold distance of thelocation of the user device. In some implementations, thisidentification may be based on the status information 208 that indicatesa current status (e.g., free, in use, or reserved) of laundry machine(s)112 managed within the laundry service. For example, the managementmodule(s) 206 may identify those laundromat(s) 100 that are locatedwithin 10 miles of the user device and that currently have availablelaundry machine(s) 112 for use. In some implementations, theavailability request 612 may indicate a number of laundry machine(s) 112that the user 102 may wish to use, and the availability information 618may describe those (e.g., nearby) laundromats 100 that have the desirednumber of currently available laundry machine(s) 112.

The management module(s) 206 may send (616), or cause to be sent, theavailability 618 to the user device. The availability information 618may be presented (620) in the UI of the customer application 310executing on the user device.

FIG. 7 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations such as those of the present disclosure. FIG. 7describes an example process for reserving laundry machine(s) 112 atlaundromat(s) 100. Operations of the process may be performed by one ormore of the customer application 310, other module(s) executing on themobile device 104, the management module(s) 206, other module(s)executing on the management server device(s) 204, firmware or othersoftware executing on the laundry machine 112, or other module(s)executing on other device(s).

The customer application 310 may detect (702) a selection made by theuser 102 through the UI of the customer application 310, the selectionindicating a laundromat 100. The selected laundromat 100 may be one ofthe laundromat(s) 100 indicated in the availability information 618 ashaving currently available laundry machine(s) 112.

The customer application 310 may send (704) a reservation request 706 torequest the reservation of one or more laundry machines 112 at theselected laundromat 100. In some implementations, the customerapplication 310 may enable the user 102 to indicate a number of laundrymachine(s) 112 to reserve, and the reservation request 706 may indicatethe desired number of laundry machine(s) 112 at the selected laundromat100.

The management module(s) 206 may access the reservation request 706 andidentify (708) the requested number of laundry machine(s) 112 to reserveat the laundromat 100. This identification may be based at least in parton the status information 208 which indicates the currently free laundrymachine(s) 112 at the laundromat 100. In some implementations, thedetermining of which laundry machine(s) 112 to reserve may be made basedat least in part on load balancing considerations. For example, theparticular laundry machine(s) 112 may be selected based on adetermination that those laundry machine(s) 112 are underused comparedto other laundry machine(s) 112. Such a determination may be made basedon an analysis of operational data collected from laundry machine(s)112, as described with reference to FIG. 11.

In some implementations, when reserving a laundry machine 112, themanagement module(s) 206 may determine a laundry machine 112 to reservebased on information regarding when a current load is finishing and/orwhen a machine finishes (or is expected to finish) operating in acertain status or statuses. For example, all the laundry machines 112 ina laundromat 100 may be currently in use, but the status information 208may indicate that one laundry machine 112 will be finishing in oneminute. The management module(s) 206 may reserve that laundry machine112, given that the current load is expected to finish by the time thereserving user 102 arrives. Other information may also be considered,such as information indicating that the previous user 102 has requestedthat their laundry be removed from the laundry machine 112 by anattendant, or information that the previous user 102 of the laundrymachine 112 is currently in the laundromat 100 and available to removetheir laundry from the laundry machine 112 when the current cyclecompletes.

The management module(s) 206 may update (710) the status information 208to indicate the identified laundry machine(s) 112 as reserved. Themanagement module(s) 206 may also send (712), or cause to be sent,control signal(s) 714 to alter the status indicator(s) 116 of thelaundry machine(s) 112. The control signal(s) 714 may be received by themicrocontroller 302 of the laundry machine(s) 112, and themicrocontroller 302 may send a signal to alter (716) the statusindicator(s) 116 to indicate a reserved status for the laundrymachine(s) 112.

The management module(s) 206 may send (718), or cause to be sent,reservation information 720 to the user device. The reservationinformation 720 may indicate the reservation of the laundry machine(s)112 at the laundromat 100. The reservation information 720 may alsoindicate a period of time during which the reservation may be held. Forexample, the reservation information 720 may indicate that the laundrymachine(s) 112 will be reserved for use by the user 102 (or by anotheruser with a reservation) for the next 30 minutes. In some cases, theperiod of time may be based at least partly on the distance of the userdevice from the laundromat 100, current traffic conditions, time of day,road conditions, road access, or other factors, to ensure that the user102 has sufficient time to reach the laundromat 100 before thereservation expires.

The reservation information 720 may be received at the user device, andthe customer application 310 may present (722) the reservationinformation 720 in the UI of the customer application 722. In caseswhere the management module(s) 206 were unable to reserve the requestednumber of laundry machine(s) 112, due to lack of availability or otherconsiderations, the management module(s) 206 may respond to thereservation request 706 with a message describing a reason for thefailed reservation, such as the lack of availability of laundrymachine(s) 112 at the laundromat 100.

In some implementations, the process depicted in FIG. 6 may determinelaundromat(s) 100 in proximity to the location without regard to whethersuch laundromat(s) 100 have currently available laundry machine(s) 112.In such cases, the availability information 618 presented in the UI ofthe customer application 310 may indicate all the laundromat(s) 100 inthe vicinity without regard to machine availability. The processdepicted in FIG. 7 may receive the reservation request 706 indicating adesired number of laundry machine(s) 112, and determine whether toapprove or disapprove the reservation request 706 based on whether theselected laundromat 100 currently has at least the desired number oflaundry machine(s) 112 requested.

FIG. 8 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations such as those of the present disclosure. FIG. 8describes an example process for providing access to a laundromat 100.Operations of the process may be performed by one or more of thecustomer application 310, other module(s) executing on the mobile device104, the management module(s) 206, other module(s) executing on themanagement server device(s) 204, or other module(s) executing on otherdevice(s).

As described with reference to FIG. 1, a network interface of the user'smobile device 104 may detect (802) a signal emitted by the beacon 110 inproximity to the door(s) 106 of the laundromat 100. The detection of thesignal with a received signal level higher than a threshold level mayindicate that the mobile device 104 is within a threshold distance ofthe door(s) 106 or otherwise in proximity to the door(s) 106.

The customer application 310, based on the detected signal, may send(804) an access request 806 to request access to the laundromat 100. Themanagement module(s) 206 may receive the access request 806 anddetermine (808) whether the user 102 has a previously-made reservationfor one or more laundry machines 112 in the laundromat 100. If so, theprocess may proceed to 812. If not, the management module(s) 206 maydetermine (810) whether the user 102 is an authenticated customer of thelaundry service. If not, the process may deny (814) the access request806, e.g., denying the user 102 access to the laundromat 100. In somecases, denial of access may include sending a message to the mobiledevice 104 indicating a reason for the denial of access (e.g.,unauthorized user, lack of reservation, and so forth). If it isdetermined at 810 that the user 102 is an authenticated customer of thelaundry service, the management module(s) 206 may send (812) a signal tocause the door(s) 106 to open and admit the user 102 to the laundromat100.

In some implementations, as in the example of FIG. 8, a user 102 may beadmitted to a laundromat 100 if the user 102 has a reservation of one ormore laundry machines 112 in the laundromat 100 or if the user 102 hasno reservation but is a customer of the laundry service. In someimplementations, a user 102 may not be admitted to a laundromat unlessthe user 102 has reserved laundry machine(s) 112 in the laundromat 100,even if the user 102 is an authenticated customer of the laundryservice. Although the example of FIG. 8 depicts the management serverdevice(s) 204 operating as an intermediary to determine whether the user102 is to be granted access to a laundromat 100, implementations are notso limited. In some implementations, the determination whether to admita user 102 to a laundromat 100 may be made by software executing in thedoor mechanism 108 or some other computing device physically located in,or in proximity to, the laundromat 100, or on another computing devicethat is in communication with the door mechanism 108.

FIGS. 9A and 9B depict an example process that may be executed inaccordance with implementations such as those of the present disclosure.FIGS. 9A and 9B describe an example process for enabling the use of alaundry machine 112. Operations of the process may be performed by oneor more of the customer application 310, other module(s) executing onthe mobile device 104, the management module(s) 206, other module(s)executing on the management server device(s) 204, firmware or othersoftware executing on the microcontroller 302 of the laundry machine112, or other module(s) executing on other device(s).

The laundry machine 112 may emit (902) a beacon signal 904 thatindicates the presence of the laundry machine 112. In someimplementations, as described above, the beacon signal 904 may includean identifier that (e.g., uniquely) identifies the laundry machine 112.

Based on detecting the beacon signal 904 at the mobile device 104, thecustomer application 310 may determine (906) that the mobile device 104is in proximity to the laundry machine 112. For example, the mobiledevice 104 may be moved into proximity with a beacon 114 of the laundrymachine 112, in a bump motion performed by the user 102. Detection ofthe beacon signal 904 is described further with reference to FIG. 10.

The customer application 310 may extract the laundry machine identifierfrom the beacon signal 904, and send (908) a machine request 910 torequest use of the laundry machine 112. In response to receiving themachine request 910 at the management server device(s) 204, themanagement module(s) 206 may access (912) the status information 208indicating the current status of the various laundry machines 112managed by the laundry service.

Based on the status information 208, the management module(s) 206 maydetermine (914) the current status (e.g., free, in use, or reserved) ofthe laundry machine 112 that the mobile device 104 bumped with. If thelaundry machine 112 is currently in use, the management module(s) 206may send, or cause to be sent, an error message 916. In response toreceiving the error message 916, the customer application 310 mayindicate (918) that the laundry machine 112 is currently in use, andrequest that the user 102 select another laundry machine 112 that is notin use.

If it is determined (914) that the laundry machine 112 is reserved, themanagement module(s) 206 may determine (920) whether the user 102previously made a reservation of at least one laundry machine 112. Ifnot, the management module(s) 206 may send, or cause to be sent, anerror message 922. In response to receiving the error message 922, thecustomer application 310 may indicate (924) that the laundry machine 112is current reserved for other customer(s), and request that the user 102select a free laundry machine 112.

If it is determined (914) that the laundry machine 112 is free, or if itis determined (920) that the user 102 has previously reserved at leastone laundry machine 112, the process may proceed as described withreference to FIG. 9B.

In some implementations, the management module(s) 206 may process (926)a payment from the user 102 to the laundry service prior to enabling thelaundry machine 112 for use by the user 102. If the payment issuccessfully processed, the management module(s) 206 may update (928)the status information 208 to indicate that the laundry machine 112 iscurrently in use. The management module(s) 206 may send (930), or causeto be sent, a control signal 932. The control signal 932 may be sent tothe laundry machine 112. In response to receiving the control signal932, the microcontroller 302 may send a signal to alter (934) the statusindicator 116 to indicate that the laundry machine 112 is currently inuse. The microcontroller 302 may also send one or more signals to thecontrol module(s) 306 to alter (936) the operational state of thelaundry machine 112 and to enable its use for doing laundry.

The management module(s) 206 may send (938), or cause to be sent, astatus notification 940 indicating that the laundry machine 112 is nowavailable for use. The status notification 940 may also indicate anamount of time remaining in the current laundry cycle on the laundrymachine 112.

The customer application 310 executing on the mobile device 104 mayaccess the status notification 940 received at the mobile device 104,and present (942) the time remaining in the UI of the customerapplication 310.

In some implementations, the customer application 310 may be configuredto present (944) advertisements, surveys, games, or other content viathe UI of the customer application 310 while the laundry cycle is inprogress. In some implementations, such content may be presented basedon a determination that the user 102 is currently in the laundromat 100.Presentation of additional content may provide a positive userexperience by giving the user 102 something to do while waiting fortheir laundry to finish. In some cases, the laundry service may receivepayment from advertisers, advertising networks, survey organizations, orother parties based on the presentation of the content to users, orbased on the amount of time during which the content is presented.

In some implementations, in response to enabling the use of the laundrymachine 112 for the user 102, the management module(s) 206 mayautomatically reserve (946) additional laundry machine(s) 112 forsubsequent use. For example, if the initially enabled laundry machine112 is a washer, the management module(s) 206 may automatically reserveone or more dryers for subsequent use by the user 102 based on aninference that the user 102 may want to dry their laundry after it iswashed. The additional laundry machine(s) 112 may be automaticallyreserved at a time following the expiration of the period of time foruse of the initial laundry machine 112, such as after the completion ofa wash cycle.

In some implementations, the laundry service processes a payment fromthe user 102 prior to enabling the user 102 to use laundry machine(s)112. In some cases, the payment may be per use, such that the user 102authorizes a payment for each trip to the laundromat 100. In some cases,the user 102 may have previously added value to an account managed bythe laundry service, and the laundry service may debit the accountaccording to the value of services provided. The laundry service mayalso offer a subscription plan, in which the user 102 provided apredetermined periodic (e.g., monthly) payment in return for the use oflaundry machine(s) 112 or other services. In some implementations, thelaundry service may enable multiple users 102 to share laundrymachine(s) 112 or other services, and the payment(s) may be split amongthe multiple users 102.

In some implementations, the laundry service provides the ability forone user 102 to gift credit or value to another user 102, in the form ofa gift certificate, gift card, or other form of value. Moreover, in somecases the laundry service provides bonuses, discounts, or other types ofrewards to users 102 who are repeat customers, refer other customers, orotherwise display loyalty. For example, a user 102 may be given adiscount on every tenth use of the laundry service, or may be given freedryer time, free folding, or other perks.

In some implementations, the user 102 may still be enabled to use thelaundry machine 112 even when the user device 104, the laundry machine112, or both are offline without access to a network. In such cases, theuser device 104 may store a secure token or other information previouslyreceived from the laundry service to indicate that the user 102 isauthorized to use laundry machine(s) 112 without a currently processedpayment. The token may itself indicate an amount of value, or mayindicate a promise of later payment by the user 102. For example, thetoken may be encrypted and transferred to the user device 104, andsubsequently transferred to the microcontroller 302 to cause themicrocontroller 302 to enable use of the laundry machine 112. Paymentprocessing, accounting operations, or other actions may be performedlater when the user device 104 or laundry machine 112 regains networkaccess. In this way, implementations may enable customers to do laundryeven during network outages.

FIG. 10 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations such as those of the present disclosure. FIG. 10describes an example process for determining that a mobile device 104 isin proximity to a particular laundry machine 112. Operations of theprocess may be performed by one or more of the customer application 310,other module(s) executing on the mobile device 104, or other module(s)executing on other device(s).

When the user 102 enters a laundromat 100 with their mobile device 104,a network interface of the mobile device 104 may detect (1002) multiplebeacon signals emitted from the various laundry machines 112 in thelaundromat 100. The customer application 310 may analyze (1004) thereceived signal levels (e.g., signal strengths) of the multiple beaconsignals to identify the strongest beacon signal, e.g., the beacon signalwith the highest received signal level.

The customer application 310 may determine (1006) whether the receivedsignal level of the strongest beacon signal is at least a predeterminedthreshold level corresponding to a threshold distance. If not, thecustomer application 310 may continue monitoring (1008) beacon signalsto determine whether the mobile device 104 is subsequently bumped with alaundry machine 112. In some implementations, the beacon signal (e.g.,the strongest beacon signal) may be analyzed to measure its signal levelas received at the mobile device 104. Based on the signal level, thedistance between the mobile device 104 and the laundry machine 112 (orthe beacon 114) may be determined. In some cases, a relationship betweensignal level and distance may have been determined based on a priorcalibration to measure distance versus signal level for variousdistances, using a beacon signal having a particular transmitted power.In some cases, the relationship may be based at least partly on physicalprinciples. For example, the signal level may be proportional to theinverse square of the distance.

If it is determined (1006) that the received signal level of thestrongest beacon signal is at least the threshold level, the customerapplication 310 may infer (1010) or otherwise determine that the mobiledevice 104 is within the threshold distance of the laundry machine 112that emitted the strongest beacon signal. In response, the customerapplication 310 may send (1012), or cause to be sent, the machinerequest to request the use of the laundry machine 112 as described withreference to FIGS. 9A and 9B.

FIG. 11 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations such as those of the present disclosure. FIG. 11describes an example process for analyzing operational data collectedfrom laundry machine(s) 112. Operations of the process may be performedby one or more of the management module(s) 206, other module(s)executing on the management server device(s) 204, or other module(s)executing on other device(s).

In some implementations, the microcontroller 302 may be configured tocollect operational data regarding the operations of the laundry machine112. Such operational data may be generated by the control module(s)306, by the microcontroller 302, or by other components of the laundrymachine 112, and collected by the microcontroller 302. The operationaldata may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following:data describing an amount of time when the laundry machine 112 has beenoperating, or an amount of time when the laundry machine 112 has beenidle; data describing the number, duration, and type of cycles run onthe laundry machine 112; data describing a weight or other measuredamount of laundry processed by the laundry machine 112; data describingthe temperature of the laundry machine 112 at one or more times or overa period of time; data describing the current operational state; datadescribing the past operational state of the laundry machine 112 at oneor more times; maintenance warnings or alerts; or other data. In somecases, the microcontroller 302 may periodically run tests, checks, orother diagnostics on the laundry machine 112 to measure its operatingcondition. The results of the diagnostics may also be included in theoperational data. The operational data may be periodically generated andcollected, or may be continuously generated and collected. Themicrocontroller 302 may send the operational data, via the networkinterface(s) 304 a, to the management server device(s) 204.

In some implementations, other types of operational data may becollected. For example, operational data may include informationdescribing how long user(s) 102 stay in the laundromat 100, how manyuser(s) 102 are in the laundromat 100, how often and where the user(s)102 move within the laundromat 100, whether an attendant user 506 is inthe laundromat 100, a number of attendant users 506 in the laundromat100, how often and where the attendant users 506 move within thelaundromat 100, or other information. Such operational data may bereceived from the user device(s) 104 of user(s) 102 or attendant user(s)506, and may be stored as status information 208.

The management module(s) 206 may receive (1102) the operational datasent from one or more laundry machines 112 or the user device(s) 104. Insome implementations, the management module(s) 206 may store (1104) theoperational data (e.g., as status information 208). The operational datamay be stored in persistent memory on the management server device(s)204 or elsewhere. In some cases, the operational data may be receivedand processed in the active memory of the executing management module(s)206.

The management module(s) 206 may analyze (1106) the operational data todetermine analysis output (e.g., one or more metrics) for one or morelaundry machines 112. For example, the operational data may be analyzedto determine laundry machine(s) 112 that may require maintenance, giventhe amount of time the laundry machine(s) 112 have been operated sincelast maintenance. In some cases, the operational data may be analyzed todetermine laundry machine(s) 112 that have been operated long enoughthat they may be retired or replaced by new laundry machine(s) 112. Theanalysis of operational data is described further with reference toFIGS. 19-22.

In some implementations, the operational data may be analyzed todetermine which laundry machine(s) 112 in a particular laundromat 100have been overused or underused compared to other laundry machine(s) 112in the laundromat 100. Such a determination may be employed to identifywhich laundry machine(s) 112 to reserve for use, and may enable the loadbalancing of the usage of multiple laundry machine(s) 112 in alaundromat 100. For example, in response to a reservation request, themanagement module(s) 206 may reserve one or more laundry machines 112that have been operated for less time than other laundry machine(s) 112in the laundromat 100.

The operational data may also be analyzed to generate other types ofanalysis output. For example, the operational data may be analyzed toidentify patterns of use of different laundry machine(s) 112 in alaundromat 100, and such an analysis may be employed to optimize thelayout of the laundromat 100 or other laundromats and provide a moreconvenient user experience for customers. Operational data may beanalyzed to determine whether a particular laundromat 100 is operatingbelow capacity, such that laundry machine(s) 112 may be moved from thelaundromat 100 to another laundromat 100, or such that it may becost-effective for the laundry service to close the laundromat 100 orreduce its operating hours. Operational data may also be analyzed todetermine whether a particular laundromat 100 is in high demand bycustomers, such that reservations are being denied to customers due tolack of available laundry machine(s) 112. Based on such an analysisresult, a determination may be made to add more laundry machine(s) 112to the laundromat 100, increase the available hours of the laundromat100, or open additional laundromat(s) 100 in the area to service thepreviously unsatisfied demand. Operational data may also be analyzed todetermine, for a laundromat 100, optimal hours during which thelaundromat 100 may be open, closed, staffed by attendant(s), unstaffedby attendant(s), and so forth.

FIG. 12 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations such as those of the present disclosure. FIG. 12describes an example process for processing service request(s) foradditional service(s) to be performed with respect to laundry.Operations of the process may be performed by one or more of thecustomer application 310, other module(s) executing on the mobile device104 (e.g., a customer device), an attendant application, other module(s)executing on the mobile device 104 (e.g., an attendant device), themanagement module(s) 206, other module(s) executing on the managementserver device(s) 204, or other module(s) executing on other device(s).

The management module(s) 206 may determine that a laundry cycle, orother predetermined operational period of time, has expired on a laundrymachine 112 being used by a user 102. The management module(s) 206 maysend (1202), or cause to be sent, a status information 1204 indicatingthat the period of operation has finished on a particular laundrymachine 112. The status notification 1204 may be presented (1206)through the UI of the customer application 310 executing on the user'smobile device 104, desktop computer, or other computing device.

In some implementations, as described with reference to FIG. 5, thecustomer application 310 may include one or more features that enable auser 102 to request additional service(s) be performed with respect tothe user's laundry. The customer application 310 may detect such arequest and send (1208), or cause to be sent, service request(s) 1210 torequest additional service(s) such as moving laundry from a washer to adryer, removing laundry from a dryer, folding laundry, adding more timeto a laundry machine 112, and so forth.

On receiving the service request(s) 1210, the management module(s) 206may determine (1212) whether an attendant currently present at thelaundromat 100. In some cases, a laundromat 100 may not be staffed withan attendant at all hours of the day. If it is determined that noattendant is currently available at the laundromat 100, the user 102(e.g., the customer) may be notified (1222). For example, the managementmodule(s) 206 may respond to the service request(s) 1210 with a messageindicating, to the customer, that the additional service(s) are notcurrently available.

If an attendant is currently present at the laundromat 100, themanagement module(s) 206 may send (1214), or cause to be sent, one ormore service instructions 1216 to be presented on an attendant deviceoperated by the attendant (e.g., user 506). An attendant applicationexecuting on the attendant device (e.g., mobile device 104) may present(1218) the service instruction(s) 1216 to prompt the attendant toperform the additional service(s). The management module(s) 206 mayprocess (1220) payment for the additional service(s), in cases wherepayment is to be charged to the user 102 for the additional service(s).

FIG. 13 depicts an example process that may be executed in accordancewith implementations such as those of the present disclosure. FIG. 13describes an example process for dynamically determining pricing withinthe laundry service. Operations of the process may be performed by oneor more of the management module(s) 206, other module(s) executing onthe management server device(s) 204, or other module(s) executing onother device(s).

The management module(s) 206 may collect (1310) data regarding theoperations of the laundry service. Such data may include, but is notlimited to: current usage data 1302 describing the current usage (ornon-usage) of the laundry machines 112 managed by the laundry service;reservation data 1304 describing the current reservations of laundrymachine(s) 112; historical data 1306 describing the past usage andreservations of laundry machine(s) 112; or user population data 1308describing the number, locations, distribution, density, or othercharacteristics of the users 102 currently registered as customers ofthe laundry service.

The management module(s) 206 may analyze (1312) the data collected at1310 and dynamically determine (1314) pricing of laundry services basedon the data analysis. The laundry service may charge a price to the user102 for the use of a washer, dryer, other laundry machine(s) 112, or forthe additional service(s) described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 12. Insome implementations, the pricing may be dynamically modifiable based onvarious considerations. For example, if particular laundromat(s) 100, orthe laundry service generally, is exhibiting an increase in usage duringa particular time of day, day of the week, day of the year, and soforth, the price of laundry service(s) (e.g., washing, drying, etc.) maybe decreased or increased during such times. Moreover, if a particularlaundromat 100 is being underutilized, the price of services at thatlaundromat 100 may be lowered to encourage more customers to try thelaundry service. In some cases, if a particular laundromat 100 isexperiencing high usage compared to other laundromats 100 in the area,prices at the high-usage laundromat 100 may be increased or prices atthe lower-usage laundromats 100 may be decreased to encourage customersto use other laundromats 100. Moreover, prices at one or morelaundromats 100 may be lowered as part of a sale, promotion, or othermarketing strategy to encourage customers to use the laundry service. Insome cases, lower prices may be charged at a new laundromat 100, duringa period of time following the opening of the new laundromat 100, tointroduce the laundry service to new customers. In some cases, thelaundry service may monitor laundry machine(s) 112 to detect instancesin which laundry is left in a machine after a cycle or operation timeperiod has completed, and a user 102 may be charged for the time whenthe laundry is blocking others from using the machine. Such charges, aswell as any other charges for laundry services, may be dynamicallyadjusted.

FIGS. 14-17 depict an example UI that may be employed to interact with alaundry service in accordance with implementations such as those of thepresent disclosure. The example UI of FIGS. 14-17 may be presented bythe customer application 310 on the mobile device 104 or other userdevice such as a desktop computer. Although the examples of FIGS. 14-17depict a UI having a particular arrangement of UI elements,implementations are not limited to these examples. Implementations mayprovide a UI that includes any number and arrangement of elements suchas text, images, graphics, video, animations, and so forth that presentinformation in any format. Moreover, the UI may include any number,type, and arrangement of controls that enable a user 102 to interactwith the UI, including but not limited to text entry fields, numericentry fields, buttons, radio buttons, check boxes, slider controls,active (e.g., clickable) images or graphics, maps, menus, lists, and soforth. Moreover, although FIGS. 14-17 depict a UI configured to presentinformation visually, implementations are not so limited.Implementations also support a UI that presents information via sounds,music, spoken text output, or other audio output. Moreover,implementations support a UI that presents information as a hapticoutput via a vibration or other movement of a computing device. AlthoughFIGS. 14-17 depicts an example UI of the customer application 310presented on a mobile device 104, the UI of the customer application 310may also be presented on other types of computing devices such as adesktop computer.

FIG. 14A depicts an example of an initial screen of the UI which may bepresented when the user 102 launches the customer application 310 ontheir mobile device 104 or other user device. As shown in the example,the initial screen may identify the laundry service (e.g.,ExampleLaundryService) and may provide a control to enable the user 102to register, e.g., set up a new account with the laundry service, ifthey are not already registered. The UI may provide a link to enable auser 102 to sign in to an existing account, if they are alreadyregistered. Registration may include the user providing information suchas their name, address, email address, telephone number, other contactinformation, payment method(s), username, password, other credential(s),and so forth. Such information may be stored as part of a user accountfor the user. Signing in may include the user providing the previouslystored credentials, such as username, password, and so forth, to enableauthentication of the user and verification that the user is authorizedto access the service.

FIG. 14B depicts an example of a UI screen that may be presented toenable a user 102 to register with the laundry service by entering userinformation such as an email address, mobile phone number, and password.

Implementations may also collect other information from the user 102during registration, such as information regarding payment methods, homeaddress, user preferences, preferred laundromat location(s), and soforth. For example, FIG. 14C depicts a screen in which the user 102 mayenter payment method information by scanning a credit card using animage collected by a camera on the mobile device 104. As shown in theexample of FIG. 14D, the customer application 310 may also enable theuser 102 to provide payment method information manually by entering aname on a credit card, the card number, an expiration date, and asecurity code. Although examples herein may describe the use of a creditcard for payment, implementations support other payment methods as well.Possible payment method(s) may include, but are not limited to, one ormore of a credit card, a bank account, a phone service account, anonline payment processing service account, digital or electroniccurrency, and so forth.

FIG. 15A depicts an example of a UI screen in which availabilityinformation 618 is presented within a map of the area in proximity tothe user 102 or the mobile device 104. As described above, theavailability information 618 may indicate the laundromat(s) 100 whichcurrently have available laundry machine(s) 112. Alternatively, theavailability information 618 may indicate all the laundromat(s) 100 inthe vicinity that are managed via the laundry service. The currentlocation 1502 of the mobile device 104, or of the user 102, may also beindicated in the map, as shown in FIG. 15A.

FIG. 15B depicts an example of a UI screen in which the user 102 hasselected a particular laundromat 100 at which to do laundry. Thelaundromat selection 1504 may be indicated in the UI, such as on a map.The UI may also provide other information regarding the selectedlaundromat 100, such as the address of the laundromat 100, availablehours, number of currently available laundry machine(s) 112, customerratings or reviews, pricing information, and so forth. As shown in theexample of FIG. 15B, the UI may include a control 1506 that enables auser 102 to specify the number of laundry machines 112 they would liketo use to do laundry.

FIG. 15C depicts an example of a UI screen in which the user hasindicated, via the control 1506, a number of laundry machine(s) 112 theywould like to use. The user 102 may employ the control 1506 (e.g.,“Reserve my machines”) to generate and send a reservation request 706 tothe management server device(s) 204. FIG. 15D depicts an example of a UIscreen that may be presented to inform the user 102 that the reservationof the laundry machine(s) 112 is in progress.

FIG. 15E depicts an example of a UI screen which may be presented toindicate, to the user 102, that the requested number of laundrymachine(s) 112 have been reserved at the selected laundromat 100. The UImay indicate an amount of time (e.g., 15 minutes) during which thereservation will be held for the user 102. The UI may also indicate thecurrent location of the mobile device 104 as the user 102 travels to thelaundromat 100. As shown in the example of FIG. 15F, the UI may presentthe amount of time remaining on the reservation (e.g., 4 minutes and 22seconds remaining) as the user 102 travels to the laundromat 100.

FIG. 16A depicts an example of a UI screen which may be presented towelcome the user 102 to their selected laundromat 100. This screen maybe presented responsive to the user 102 approaching or entering throughthe door(s) 106. In some cases, the screen may be presented based on adetermination that the current location of the mobile device 104corresponds to a known location of the laundromat 100, or based on themobile device 104 detecting one more signals emitted from laundrymachine(s) 112 or other objects present in the laundromat 100.

FIG. 16B depicts an example of a UI screen which may present statusinformation regarding the active laundry loads being processed (e.g.,washed, dried, etc.) in the laundry machine(s) 112 of the laundromat100. In the example of FIG. 16B, the user 102 has not yet started anyloads in any laundry machine(s) 112. The UI screen may also presentstatus information regarding those machine(s) that have been recentlyused by the user or that are being currently used by the user, includingbut not limited to washer(s) and/or dryer(s).

In the example of FIG. 16C, the user 102 has three loads currently inprogress. The status information 1602 may indicate, for each load, whichlaundry machine 112 is processing the load and how much time remains.Although the example of FIG. 16C depicts status information 1602 withrespect to washing loads, the status information 1602 may also describedrying loads or other types of laundry tasks. As shown in the example ofFIG. 16D, the status information 1602 may indicate when each load isdone.

FIG. 16E depicts an example of a UI screen in which status information1602 is presented with a control 1604 to request an additional service.In this example, a wash load has completed and the control 1604 enablesthe user 102 to request that an attendant move the laundry from thewasher to a dryer. Implementations support other additional service(s),as described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 12. On selecting the control1604, the control 1604 may prompt the user 102 to approve a payment forthe additional service, as shown in the example of FIG. 16F. Onapproving the charge, the customer application 310 may generate and senda service request for the additional service as described with referenceto FIGS. 5 and 12.

FIG. 17 depicts an example of a UI screen that the customer application310 may employ to present a transaction history 1702 for the user 102.The transaction history 1702 may describe recent transactions that wereprocessed during a recent period of time (e.g., in the last month). Insome cases, the transaction history 1702 may describe transactions thatwere processed since the user 102 registered with the laundry service.

FIG. 18 depicts an example UI screen of the customer application 310that may be employed, by the user 102 to interact with the laundryservice. In some implementations, the customer application 310 includesfeature(s) that enable the user 102 to request customer assistance or torequest additional services such as those described with reference toFIGS. 5 and 12. In the example of FIG. 18, the UI provides features toenable the user 102 to request additional services such as transferringlaundry to dryer(s) from washer(s), adding time to dryers, and foldinglaundry. In response to a gesture on one of these features, the customerapplication 310 may cause a service request 502 to be sent to themanagement module(s) 206, which may send the service request 502 to theattendant as described above.

As shown in the example of FIG. 18, the UI may also include a feature toenable the user 102 to request information describing how to use thelaundry service. In response to a user's selection of the feature, theUI may present one or more help page(s) that include instructions,frequently asked questions, instructional videos, or other information.The UI may also include feature(s) to enable the user 102 to report aproblem with a laundry machine 112, the laundromat 100 facility, or withthe user's payments. Selection of one of these features (e.g., throughselection of the disclosure indicator arrow of a feature) may result inthe UI presenting an additional screen to enable the user 102 to enterdetails regarding the problem. For example, selecting the “There's aproblem with my machine” feature may cause the presentation of a screenthat enables the user 102 to select from a list of more specificproblems, such as the machine not working, the machine door not opening,the washer not filling with water, and so forth. As another example,selecting the “There's a problem with the facility” feature may causethe presentation of a screen that enables the user 102 to select from alist of more specific problems, such as the laundromat 100 being uncleanor unsafe, something in the laundromat 100 being broken, or otherissues. The subsequent screen(s) may also enable the user 102 to enter afree form text message describing the issue, or other information.

The support or assistance features may also include in-app messaging,voice calling, or other features to enable the user 102 to interact withsupport personnel who are not on site in the laundromat 100. The supportprovided by such interaction, as well as the support provided via theassistance UI depicted in FIG. 18, may provide assistance to a user 102when an attendant is not currently present in the laundromat 100, orwhen the laundromat 100 is typically unattended such as in a dormitory,apartment building, or other environments. By enabling constantassistance to customers, implementations provide a reassuring userexperience in which the customer may never be without help (e.g., a“you're never alone” feature of the laundry service). In at least thisway, implementations may provide a more positive user experience thantraditional laundromats which, when unattended, may leave the customersubstantially on their own when problems occur.

FIGS. 19-22 depict example UIs for providing analytics regarding thelaundry service. As described above with reference to FIG. 11, in someimplementations operational data may be collected from laundrymachine(s) 112 in one or more laundromats 100. Operational data may alsobe retrieved from the status information 208 or other data. Operationaldata may be analyzed to generate analytics output that is presented on amanagement console or other UI. In some implementations, the managementconsole may be a UI that is presented by the management module(s) 206executing on the management server device(s) 204. Analytics informationmay also be presented on a UI on an attendant's mobile device 104, or onother device(s).

FIG. 19 depicts an example of an analytics UI 1902 that may include theresults of analyzing operational data collected within the laundryservice. In the example of FIG. 19, the analytics UI 1902 is presentinga list of issues (e.g., problems) reported at a particular laundromat100. The list may include one or more of the following: the user 102 whoreported the issue (e.g., reporter); a category of the issue, such aswhether the issue was with payment, machine, or facility; the reportingmethod, such as whether the issue was reported through the customerapplication 310 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 18), through a web site, orthrough a telephone support line; the laundry service personnel whoanswered the issue; the amount of time before responding to the issue(e.g., support time); a feedback rating received from the user 102; adate and time when the issue was reported; or other information. Theanalytics UI 1902 may also present aggregate information regarding theissues, such as the total number of support tickets, the average supporttime, or the average customer feedback, during a selectable time period(e.g., day, week, month, etc.). As in the example shown, the analyticsUI 1902 may also highlight issues for which the response time was highor the customer feedback was low.

FIG. 20 depicts an example of the analytics UI 1902. In the exampleshown, a user of the management console has selected (e.g., clicked,moused over, etc.) one of the issues to view more detailed informationregarding the selected issue. Such detailed information may be presentedin a pop-up dialog, as in the example shown, or in a separate window.The detailed information may include the original issue report from theuser 102 (e.g., the customer message) as well as the response fromsupport personnel.

FIG. 21 depicts an example of the analytics UI 1902 presentinghistorical or trend data for utilization of a particular laundromat 100.The trend data may show the utilization of laundry machine(s) 112 in alaundromat 100 over a selectable period of time, such as over the pastday, week, or month. In the example shown, the utilization is describedas a percentage of the total cycles utilized. The utilization may alsobe described as the proportion of laundry machine(s) 112 used, or othermetrics. The utilization may be presented as a graph, as in the exampleshown, or using other presentation methods. The utilization informationmay include the average washer vend rate, the average dryer vend rate,the number of attendant services transactions (e.g., for additionalservices), and the average attendant services price.

The analytics UI 1902 may also present a current overview of thelaundromat 100, as shown in FIG. 21. The current overview may includeone or more of: the number of washers in use, the number of washersreserved, the current price of a wash; the number of dryers in use, thecurrent price per time for drying, or other information. The currentoverview may also include information regarding the attendant currentlystaffing the laundromat 100, if an attendant is currently present. Thecurrent overview may include links or other features that cause theanalytics UI 1902 to present machine details regarding the washers ordryers in use or available, present a history of the attendant schedule,or send a message to the attendant.

FIG. 22 depicts an example of the analytics UI 1902 presentinghistorical or trend data for the number of guests (e.g., users 102 whoare customers) in a laundromat 100. As in the example shown, the trenddata may show the number of guests in a laundromat 100 over a selectableperiod of time, such as over the past day, week, or month. The guestnumber data may be statistically analyzed to determine a fitted curvedand a peak usage time (or date), as shown in the example. Theoperational data may also be analyzed to determine other statisticalmetrics. The analytics UI 1902 may present information describing thetotal number of guest visits, average visit length, and average visitvalue over the selected time period. The analytics UI 1902 may alsopresent any other information regarding the laundromat 100, the laundrymachine(s) 112 in the laundromat 100, the users 102 of the laundromat100, and so forth.

FIG. 23 depicts an example user interface that may be employed by anattendant in a laundromat in accordance with implementations of thepresent disclosure. The attendant UI 2302 may be presented on a mobiledevice 104 operated by an attendant such as user 506. As shown in theexample of FIG. 23, the attendant UI 2302 may present informationassociated with a particular laundromat 100 (e.g., 309 W 55th Street).The attendant UI 2302 may present one or more of the following: thenumber of washers currently in use; the total number of washers in thelaundromat 100; the number of washers reserved; the current price forwashing; the number of dryers currently in use; the total number ofdryers in the laundromat 100; the current price (e.g., per timeincrement) for drying; the customers who have active reservations at thelaundromat 100; the number of machines 112 reserved by customers; theamount of time remaining on the reservations; the current customers inthe laundromat 100; or the amount of time each customer has spent in thelaundromat 100. In some implementations, the attendant UI 2302 presentsinformation indicating a customer type for each customer currently inthe laundromat 100, such as whether the customer is a first time user ofthe service, a regular user, or a power user (e.g., frequent user). Insome cases, the attendant UI 2302 may highlight first time users forparticular attention by the attendant, to ensure the first visit is apositive user experience. In some cases, the attendant UI 2302 mayinclude controls to enable the attendant UI 2302 to indicate whether theattendant has greeted each customer currently in the laundromat 100.Customers who have not yet been greeted may be highlighted in theattendant UI 2302. The attendant UI 2302 may also present otherinformation, such as information regarding the service instructions 1216to be performed by the attendant, or information regarding current orhistorical machine operations.

FIG. 24 depicts an example computing system 2400 in accordance withimplementations such as those of the present disclosure. The system 2400may be used for any of the operations described with respect to thevarious implementations discussed herein. For example, the system 2400may be included, at least in part, in one or more of the mobile device104, other user device(s), the management server device(s) 204, or themicrocontroller 302 described herein. The system 2400 may include one ormore processors 2410, a memory 2420, one or more storage devices 2430,and one or more input/output (I/O) devices 2450 controllable via one ormore I/O interfaces 2440. Two or more of the components 2410, 2420,2430, 2440, or 2450 may be interconnected via at least one system bus2460, which may enable the transfer of data between the various modulesand components of the system 2400.

The processor(s) 2410 may be configured to process instructions forexecution within the system 2400. The processor(s) 2410 may includesingle-threaded processor(s), multi-threaded processor(s), or both. Theprocessor(s) 2410 may be configured to process instructions stored inthe memory 2420 or on the storage device(s) 2430. The processor(s) 2410may include hardware-based processor(s) each including one or morecores. The processor(s) 2410 may include general purpose processor(s),special purpose processor(s), or both.

The memory 2420 may store information within the system 2400. In someimplementations, the memory 2420 includes one or more computer-readablemedia. The memory 2420 may include any number of volatile memory units,any number of non-volatile memory units, or both volatile andnon-volatile memory units. The memory 2420 may include read-only memory,random access memory, or both. In some cases, the memory 2420 may beemployed as active or physical memory by one or more executing softwaremodules.

The storage device(s) 2430 may be configured to provide (e.g.,persistent) mass storage for the system 2400. In some implementations,the storage device(s) 2430 may include one or more computer-readablemedia. For example, the storage device(s) 2430 may include a floppy diskdevice, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or a tape device.The storage device(s) 2430 may include read-only memory, random accessmemory, or both. The storage device(s) 2430 may include one or more ofan internal hard drive, an external hard drive, or a removable drive.

One or both of the memory 2420 or the storage device(s) 2430 may includeone or more computer-readable storage media (CRSM). The CRSM may includeone or more of an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium,an optical storage medium, a magneto-optical storage medium, a quantumstorage medium, a mechanical computer storage medium, and so forth. TheCRSM may provide storage of computer-readable instructions describingdata structures, processes, applications, programs, other modules, orother data for the operation of the system 2400. In someimplementations, the CRSM may include a data store that provides storageof computer-readable instructions or other information in anon-transitory format. The CRSM may be incorporated into the system 2400or may be external with respect to the system 2400. The CRSM may includeread-only memory, random access memory, or both. One or more CRSMsuitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and datamay include any type of non-volatile memory, including but not limitedto: semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flashmemory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removabledisks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. In somecases, the processor(s) 2410 and the memory 2420 may be supplemented by,or incorporated into, one or more application-specific integratedcircuits (ASICs).

The system 2400 may include one or more I/O devices 2450. The I/Odevice(s) 2450 may include one or more input devices such as a keyboard,a mouse, a pen, a game controller, a touch input device, an audio inputdevice (e.g., a microphone), a gestural input device, a haptic inputdevice, an image or video capture device (e.g., a camera), or otherdevices. In some cases, the I/O device(s) 2450 may also include one ormore output devices such as a display, LED(s), an audio output device(e.g., a speaker), a printer, a haptic output device, and so forth. TheI/O device(s) 2450 may be physically incorporated in one or morecomputing devices of the system 2400, or may be external with respect toone or more computing devices of the system 2400.

The system 2400 may include one or more I/O interfaces 2440 to enablecomponents or modules of the system 2400 to control, interface with, orotherwise communicate with the I/O device(s) 2450. The I/O interface(s)2440 may enable information to be transferred in or out of the system2400, or between components of the system 2400, through serialcommunication, parallel communication, or other types of communication.For example, the I/O interface(s) 2440 may comply with a version of theRS-232 standard for serial ports, or with a version of the IEEE 1284standard for parallel ports. As another example, the I/O interface(s)2440 may be configured to provide a connection over Universal Serial Bus(USB) or Ethernet. In some cases, the I/O interface(s) 2440 may beconfigured to provide a serial connection that is compliant with aversion of the IEEE 1394 standard.

The I/O interface(s) 2440 may also include one or more networkinterfaces that enable communications between computing devices in thesystem 2400, or between the system 2400 and other network-connectedcomputing systems. Such network interface(s) may include networkinterface(s) 304 a and 304 b. The network interface(s) may include oneor more network interface controllers (NICs) or other types oftransceiver devices configured to send and receive communications overone or more networks, such as the network(s) 202, using any networkprotocol.

Computing devices of the system 2400 may communicate with one another,or with other computing devices, using one or more networks such as thenetwork(s) 202. Such networks may include public networks such as theinternet, private networks such as an institutional or personalintranet, or any combination of private and public networks. Thenetworks may include any type of wired or wireless network, includingbut not limited to local area networks (LANs), wide area networks(WANs), wireless WANs (WWANs), wireless LANs (WLANs), mobilecommunications networks (e.g., 3G, 4G, Edge, etc.), and so forth. Insome implementations, the communications between computing devices maybe encrypted or otherwise secured. For example, communications mayemploy one or more public or private cryptographic keys, ciphers,digital certificates, or other credentials supported by a securityprotocol, such as any version of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or theTransport Layer Security (TLS) protocol.

The system 2400, such as the mobile device 104, the management serverdevice(s) 204, or the microcontroller 302, may include any number ofcomputing devices of any type. The computing device(s) may include, butare not limited to: a personal computer, a smartphone, a tabletcomputer, a wearable computer, an implanted computer, a mobile gamingdevice, an electronic book reader, an automotive computer, a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a game console, a homeentertainment device, a network computer, a server computer, a mainframecomputer, a distributed computing device (e.g., a cloud computingdevice), a microcomputer, a SoC, a SiP, and so forth. Although examplesherein may describe computing device(s) as physical device(s),implementations are not so limited. In some cases, a computing devicemay include one or more of a virtual computing environment, ahypervisor, an emulation, or a virtual machine executing on one or morephysical computing devices. In some cases, two or more computing devicesmay include a cluster, cloud, farm, or other grouping of multipledevices that coordinate operations to provide load balancing, failoversupport, parallel processing capabilities, shared storage resources,shared networking capabilities, or other aspects.

The features described may be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry or in computer hardware, software, or any combinations ofhardware and software. The features may be implemented in at least onecomputer program product that is tangibly embodied in an informationcarrier (e.g., a machine-readable storage device) for execution by aprogrammable processor. The method or process steps may be performed bya programmable processor executing instructions to perform functions ofthe described implementations by operating on input data and generatingoutput. The described features may be implemented in one or morecomputer programs that are executable on a programmable system includingat least one programmable processor coupled to receive data andinstructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a datastorage system, at least one input device, and at least one outputdevice. A computer program may include a set of instructions that can beused, directly or indirectly, in a computer to perform a certainactivity or bring about a certain result. A computer program may bewritten in any form of programming language, including compiled orinterpreted languages, and it may be deployed in any form, including asa stand-alone program or as a module suitable for use in a computingenvironment.

The logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particularorder shown, or any particular sequential order, to achieve desirableresults. In some implementations, other steps may be provided or stepsmay be eliminated from the described flows. Moreover, the steps may beperformed in parallel or serially with respect to other steps. Thesystems depicted in the figures do not require the particularcomponents, or the particular arrangement of components, shown in thefigures. In some implementations, the various systems may include moreor fewer components than shown in the figures, and components may bearranged differently to achieve desirable results. Accordingly,implementations other than those explicitly depicted in the figures ordescribed herein are within the scope of the following claims.

A number of implementations of the present disclosure have beendescribed. Nevertheless, it will be understood that variousmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present disclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are withinthe scope of the following claims.

1. (canceled)
 2. A system comprising: a laundry machine, comprising: atleast one network interface; at least one processor communicativelycoupled to the at least one network interface; and a memorycommunicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the memorystoring instructions which, when executed, causes the at least oneprocessor to perform operations comprising: sending, using the at leastone network interface, a beacon signal that identifies the laundrymachine, the beacon signal being detectable by a mobile computing devicein proximity to the laundry machine; and responsive to receiving acontrol signal from at least one management server device, altering anoperational state of the laundry machine to activate the laundry machinefor use, during a period of time, by a user of the mobile computingdevice; wherein the control signal is sent from the at least onemanagement server device in response to receiving, from the mobilecomputing device, a request to activate the laundry machine, the requestbeing sent from the mobile computing device to the at least onemanagement server device responsive to a determination, by the mobilecomputing device, that the mobile computing device is in proximity tothe laundry machine based on a signal level of the beacon signal.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein: the proximity of the mobile computing deviceto the laundry machine is determined based on determining that thesignal level of the beacon signal is at least a threshold level thatcorresponds to a threshold distance of the mobile computing device fromthe laundry machine; and the threshold distance is determined based atleast partly on a calibration to measure distance versus signal levelfor a transmitted power of the beacon signal.
 4. The system of claim 2,wherein the beacon signal is at least partly compliant with a version ofa Bluetooth Low Energy standard.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein thedetermination, by the mobile computing device, that the mobile computingdevice is in proximity the laundry machine is based at least partly on acode associated with the laundry machine.
 6. The system of claim 2,wherein altering the operational state of the laundry machine responsiveto receiving the control signal further comprises unlocking a door ofthe laundry machine.
 7. The system of claim 2, wherein altering theoperational state of the laundry machine responsive to receiving thecontrol signal further comprises enabling at least one of a control or acontrol panel of the laundry machine.
 8. The system of claim 2, wherein:the laundry machine further comprises a status indicator electronicallycoupled to the at least one processor, the status indicator indicating acurrent status of the laundry machine; and wherein altering theoperational state of the laundry machine responsive to receiving thecontrol signal comprises causing the status indicator to indicate thecurrent status of the laundry machine as in use.
 9. The system of claim8, wherein: the status indicator includes a light-emitting diode (LED);prior to the receiving of the control signal through the at least onenetwork interface, the LED emits a first color of light; and altering ofthe operational state of the laundry machine responsive to receiving thecontrol signal comprises causing the LED to emit a second color of lightto indicate the current status of the laundry machine as in use.
 10. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: subsequentlyaltering the operational state of the laundry machine after the periodof time has expired to at least temporarily disable use of the laundrymachine.
 11. The system of claim 2, wherein: the control signal is afirst control signal; and the operations further comprise: responsive toreceiving a second control signal from at least one management serverdevice, altering the operational state of the laundry machine to reservethe laundry machine for users with a reservation.
 12. One or morenon-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, whenexecuted by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor toperform operations comprising: sending a beacon signal that identifies alaundry machine, the beacon signal being detectable by a mobilecomputing device in proximity to the laundry machine; and responsive toreceiving a control signal from at least one management server device,altering an operational state of the laundry machine to activate thelaundry machine for use, during a period of time, by a user of themobile computing device; wherein the control signal is sent from the atleast one management server device in response to receiving, from themobile computing device, a request to activate the laundry machine, therequest being sent from the mobile computing device to the at least onemanagement server device responsive to a determination, by the mobilecomputing device, that the mobile computing device is in proximity tothe laundry machine based on a signal level of the beacon signal. 13.The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12,wherein the proximity of the mobile computing device to the laundrymachine is determined based on the signal level of the beacon signalbeing at least a threshold level that corresponds to a thresholddistance of the mobile computing device from the laundry machine. 14.The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13,wherein the threshold distance indicates physical contact between themobile computing device and the laundry machine.
 15. The one or morenon-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the beaconsignal is at least partly compliant with a version of a Bluetooth LowEnergy standard.
 16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readablemedia of claim 12, wherein altering the operational state of the laundrymachine responsive to the control signal further comprises unlocking adoor of the laundry machine.
 17. The one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 12, wherein altering the operationalstate of the laundry machine responsive to the control signal furthercomprises enabling at least one of a control or a control panel of thelaundry machine.
 18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readablemedia of claim 12, wherein altering the operational state of the laundrymachine responsive to receiving the control signal comprises causing astatus indicator of the laundry machine to indicate a current status ofthe laundry machine as in use.
 19. The one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the operations furthercomprise: subsequently altering the operational state of the laundrymachine after the period of time has expired to at least temporarilydisable use of the laundry machine.
 20. The one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 12, wherein: the control signal is afirst control signal; and the operations further comprise: responsive toreceiving a second control signal from at least one management serverdevice, altering the operational state of the laundry machine to reservethe laundry machine for users with a reservation.
 21. Acomputer-implemented method performed by at least one processor, themethod comprising: sending a beacon signal that identifies a laundrymachine, the beacon signal being detectable by a mobile computing devicein proximity to the laundry machine; and responsive to receiving acontrol signal from at least one management server device, altering anoperational state of the laundry machine to activate the laundry machinefor use, during a period of time, by a user of the mobile computingdevice; wherein the control signal is sent from the at least onemanagement server device in response to receiving, from the mobilecomputing device, a request to activate the laundry machine, the requestbeing sent from the mobile computing device to the at least onemanagement server device responsive to a determination, by the mobilecomputing device, that the mobile computing device is in proximity tothe laundry machine based on a signal level of the beacon signal.